


Lost then found

by Klaus_Once1708



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Apocalypse, Blood, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Post-Apocalypse, Ricks daughter, Survival, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:35:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 36
Words: 111,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22564849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Klaus_Once1708/pseuds/Klaus_Once1708
Summary: Kaylee Grimes the daughter of Rick Grimes, separated from the very beginning. Trying to find her way back home to her family. what will happen when she's found by a handsome redneck that reunites her with her family? Does he see her the same way or just another person to keep alive.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character(s), Maggie Greene/Glenn Rhee
Comments: 17
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

Running. 

All I seem to be doing is running. From the dead and now, from the living too.

It's been at least 2 months since the apocalypse started and the dead started rising. Maybe its been more? I lost track after a while. I've been on the road trying to get back to my family, well if there's even a family for me to get back to. 

I was still in New York when the world went to shit. I tried to call everyone to let them know I was on my way but it was no use. The phone lines were dead and everything else followed slowly after. But not me. I was still here.

Its been four days since I last drank something, and probably longer since I actually had something to eat. It was at this point I wanted to give up. What was the point in being alone in this world with only walkers to keep you company? I wanted my family. 

I sighed as I leaned my back into the cold brick wall, dropping my bag on the ground as I do. I didn't want to believe that my family is dead. My dad, little brother Carl or my step-mom, Lori. She was the mother I always wanted. She treated me better than my own mother did. I wiped away the single tear that rolled its way on my cheek. I heard Carl's voice in my head say "come on Kaylee, get your head out your arse and get moving". I took a deep breath and closed my eyes trying to focus; focus on not giving up and not give up on my family. They were alive, they had to be. 

It was quiet for a moment but quickly the sounds of walkers' growling started to fill the air. I swung my bag onto my back and took out my machete that was strapped to my hip. On the other side sat my gun that my dad had given me for my 20th birthday but that wouldn't help me this time. Too many walkers, not enough ammo. I pushed myself off the wall and back to standing up straight. I looked around for any idea of which way I should go. I turned my head back to the walkers and they were now closer to me than before. As I kicked one in the chest to push it back, the other kept coming closer, growling trying to make me his next meal. I lifted my machete and swung directly at the walkers skull taking him down in one full swoop, as the other walker started getting back up I sliced the top half of this skull off.

I looked down at the now dead walkers and sighed in relief, but before I had time to really catch my breath, more walkers came around the corner. I sighed once again, putting my knife back in it's holder and holding the straps of my bag tight; I started to run again. Would this ever stop? 


	2. Chapter 2

I finally made it back to Georgia. I have to stay away from the city, if it was anything like New York then it wouldn't be safe. I was sticking to the woods, the place I knew best.  
I was walking, knife held high in case any walkers coming around. It was quiet; I haven't heard it this quiet in a long time.   
Then the sound of a twig snapping breaking the silence in the air. I quickly turned around and saw a lonely walker following me. I stopped in my tracks letting it come to me and with a quick swing of my knife, it was on the floor. 

Pulling my knife out of its head and wiping the blood on its own clothes, I quickly put my knife back in its holder and started walking again.   
The sun was high in the sky so it was at least mid day, maybe a little later. The sun beamed down on my sweaty body, I needed to find water and fast, or die of dehydration, or be melted by the sun. I would take that over being eaten I guess.

I was slowing down, weak from no food or water but I had to keep going.  
"Shit" I thought to myself. A dozen walkers were coming at me and if I didn't do anything now they would for sure kill me. I dropped my bag on the ground, pulling my knife out, ready.

  
Slowly taking them down one by one before there were only two walkers left to deal with. I was now exhausted and had nearly no energy but I had to fight. I tried to kick one back but could barely lift my leg, making me slip and fall on my arse, with the walker falling on top of me.

  
I was out of breath, tired and slowly growing weaker as I was holding the walker away from me, the other was getting closer again. I pulled my gun out with one hand while the other was still trying to keep the walker on top of me far enough away. I took a deep breath firing my gun, the bullet going straight in between the walkers eyes. 

  
As I fired my weapon the walker on top of me went limp, I looked up confused and thankful seeing an arrow through the walkers head. I sighed in relief I wasn't going to die.  
I pushed the walker off me, sitting up and looking around to see who had fired the arrow that saved my life. My eyes instantly went to his broad shoulders and well-defined arms. My eyes went up his body and our eyes locked onto each other, his eyes were bright blue in colour and there was a look in his eyes I couldn't put my finger on. He was rugged and dirty but under all that you could see his perfect features. 

"What?" he grumbled in his thick southern accent, I quickly realised I was staring at him. I turned my head to look elsewhere. "Uh...nothing just thanks... for you know", I nodded my head to the dead walker on the ground with an arrow sticking out of its head. 

  
The man, who I'm guessing is a hunter from the string of rabbits attached to his hip, just nodded. 

"Kaylee" I said.

"Huh?" the hunter said back.

"My name, it's Kaylee"

"Daryl, Dixon" 

"Its nice to meet you Dixon" I smiled, standing to my feet only to feel dizzy immediately, I placed my hands on a near-by tree to try and steady myself but it was no use. My head was now spinning.

"You l'right?" Daryl asked.

I nodded slowly, letting go of the tree and reaching down to pick my bag up. Suddenly everything was starting to blur and my head was spinning even more, I tried to steady myself but it was no use. I was already on the ground and everything was going black. 

I heard a sigh come from Daryl lips as I felt myself being lifted in the air. I slowly opened my eyes to see that Daryl had picked me up bridal style and was walking with me in his arms. 

"Grimes" I said in a weak voice.

Daryl looked down at me with a confused look on his face, "what you on about girl?"

"My last name, you told me yours so I'm telling you mine. Grimes, Kaylee Grimes".

Daryl's eyes widened as mine became more heavy, I couldn't keep them open much longer. As I let my self fall into the darkness. I felt Daryl start to walk faster to where ever it was he was taking me.


	3. Chapter 3

I could feel the sun shinning down on my face, my eyelids felt like they were glued together as I fought to open them. I felt something heavy laying on my body, "where the hell am I?" I thought, Trying to take my mind back to the last thing I could remember. 

Dixon.

I completely forgot about the rugged redneck I had meet in the woods right before I collapsed. I think I remember him lifting me off the ground? or was I imagining that? If I didn't imagine that where the hell did he take me? And why?

I slowly moved my fingers, felling soft cotton under them. I was defiantly not in the woods anymore. I slowly pried my eyes open squinting as the sun shinned directly in them. 

I turned my head slowly ignoring the painful headache shooting through my head, I saw an older man with all white hair standing in the door way facing out of the room I was in he was saying something to someone I just couldn't make it out. I immediately went for my gun only to realise it was gone, moving my hand to the other side of my hip only for my knife to be gone too. 

Great they had taken my weapons, I couldn't really blame them I would have done the same thing if it was me.   
I slowly sat up wincing as I did so, my hand immediately shot up to my head. I felt a bandage wrapped around it. Great I must have hit my head and split it open when I collapsed. 

"Wooo now, you need to take it easy" the white haired man said to me as he turned to face me. I just looked at him not saying a word. 

"Its okay you're safe here. Daryl said he found you in the woods, you're lucky he found you when he did you were very dehydrated and malnourished"  
I still continued to stare at him not saying a word, I didn't know if I could trust this guy. Hell people are worse than the dead these days. 

"You're going to have to take it easy for a few days you hit your head pretty hard back there and have a bad concussion, you've been out a few days"   
My eyes widen

"A few days?" I asked my voice coming barely above a whisper from the lack of water, the man nodded. 

I quickly swung my legs around off the bed and went to get up, but the man just as quickly stopped me.

"I have to go, I've been to long I need to get to my family" I said franticly 

As I said that the mans face lit up, and he quickly stepped to the side leaving my eyes to land on the door that was behind him. The door slowly opened more, leaving it wide enough for someone to walk through. I had to quickly readjust my eyes, rubbing them with both hands so I could see the person entering the room more clearly.  
In that moment, my heart dropped and my eyes immediately filled with tears. Was this real? Or was I dreaming this? 

There standing in front of me was my dad, and right behind him was my step-mom both with tears in their eyes.

"Dad?" I croaked out, no longer able to hold back the tears I let them flow. 

I jumped out of bed and fell straight into his strong arms as he wrapped them around my shoulders holding on to me as tight as he could, I wrapped my small arms around his torso burring my head into his chest as I cried.

I clung to him, not wanting to let go in fear I'd never be able to hug him again. He slowly pulled away putting his hand on my check wiping away my tears, tilting my head up so I was looking up at him our matching blue eyes locked on one another.

"I thought you were dead" he said quietly as he pulled me back into his embrace as he kissed my forehead.

"I'm okay" I cried, I finally turned my head to see Lori standing there patiently waiting with tears of her own falling down her cheek. 

I finally pulled away from my dad and took a step closer to Lori, I wrapped my arms around her neck pulling her in to a tight hug as she wrapped hers around my waist. 

I lifted my head from her shoulder, looking behind her for that cheeky smile I've been waiting to see but he wasn't there.

I pulled away from Lori, looking at them both for answers. They both exchanged glances causing my face to drop thinking of the worst. 

Dad finally spoke up answering my unspoken question, "he's alive, but he's been shot"

My eyes widen in fear as I stumbled back into the bed, my little brother had been shot. 


	4. Chapter 4

"He's been shot?" I asked with a broken voice, unable to hold back the sobs that came from me. 

Dad immediately pulled me back into his embrace, "it's okay, he's going to be okay. Hershel saved him" he said, turning his head to face the older man who now I knew was called Hershel. He was standing by the window watching our little family reunited together. Well, not all of us.

I turned to face Hershel too, "he's alive?" I asked barely above a whisper. Hershel simply nodded, "you Grimes' are tough people, it's going to take a lot more than a bullet to take Carl down". 

I smiled, hearing how tough my little brother had been. I would never have doubted that he would survive such a thing, but that still doesn't mean it should have happened to him, especially at his age. 

"Come on, lets go see him" Lori smiled, taking one of my hands in hers. She slowly guided me out of the bedroom I was in and down the stairs, dad following behind us. I was only now realising how big this place is.

When we got downstairs, I looked around seeing more people. This was the most people I've seen in months and they all had their eyes glued on me. I quickly looked at them, then down at the floor. I always hated being stared at and that obviously hadn't changed since the world ended.

Lori slowly entered one of the rooms close to the front door, I followed behind her, lifting my head to see a single bed in the middle of the room and my little brother laying on top of it. My eyes widened seeing the big bandage wrapped around his stomach. I let go of Lori's hand and walked straight over to Carl's side. 

I leaned down, brushing my hand gently over his cheek and planting a kiss on the top of his head. He shifted slightly in his sleep, as he slowly started to open his eyes. 

"Kaylee?" he asked in his sleepy voice. I smiled down at him and nodded. "I'm here bud". His eyes lit up at the sound of my voice. In a blink of an eye he had swung his arms around my neck pulling me down onto the bed. I wrapped my arms around him, gently, trying not to hurt him any more than he already was. 

"I missed you so much" he cried into my shoulder. "I missed you too, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere". 

I stayed at Carl's side until he fell back to sleep that night. We had talked the whole time he was awake he filled me in on everyone in the group and here at the farm. He told me about how he got shot, and how dad had managed to find his way back to him and Lori after they thought he was dead too. He also filled me in about the little girl that had gone missing, Sofia. This broke my heart hearing how a little girl had gone missing, especially in this world. I just prayed that she was still alive out there waiting to be found.  
Hours had now passed and it was pretty late, mostly everyone had gone to their tents for the night except me, because I didn't have a tent and I wasn't tired since I had been passed out for the last few days.

I dropped my bag down on the ground next to an old oak tree and dropped myself down next to it leaning against the tree, taking in the quiet night only hearing my own thoughts. Shaking my head trying to get rid of them, but it only made it worse. 

My mind now racing with unwanted memories, as tears started to fill my eyes, the silence was broken at the sound of crunching leaves. I turned my head quickly only to see it was Daryl looking down at me with a confused expression written over his face. 

"What ya doing out here?" he grumbled. 

I quickly wiped the stray tear that had fallen down my cheek. "Just sitting here I guess" I said, as I shrugged my shoulders. Daryl rolled his eyes but then turned to look at where most of the tents had been set up.

"Why ain't you in the tents with the rest of them?" he asked, looking back down at me. I looked up at him catching as the moon made his bright blue eyes sparkle even more, or how I could see his handsome but dirty face. Our eyes locked onto each others once again, just like how they did the moment I first laid eyes on him when he saved my life. 

"Too crowded for my liking, plus didn't really want to share with my dad and his wife". Daryl just gave me a nod turning his attention away from me again. What was it about him that made me want to know more? 

He turned back towards me, bending down picking my bag up. "Uh, what are you doing?" I asked full of confusion. He stood back up turning around and walking away from me and the rest of camp. 

"Dixon!" I whisper yelled, he turned his head back to look at me once more before he carried on walking towards a tent I could only presume was his? I sighed and pulled myself back up before slowly following after Daryl.

When I got to his tent, he was already laying down on a sleeping bag, while my bag was on top of another. I looked down at him confused, wondering why he was doing this.

According to Carl, Daryl kept to himself and went of hunting in the days. 

"Will you just sit down, woman" he mumbled. I gave a confused look but sat down next to where my bag had been put.

"You can share with me, I have a spare sleeping bag." he said as he laid down. 

"Thanks" I said, only to get a grunt in return. 

I followed suit laying down on top of the sleeping bag looking up at the tent ceiling. "Daryl, thanks for bringing me back to my family". I said quietly not even sure if he could hear me. 

"It's l'right Kaylee" he responded just as quietly as I did, I smiled, letting my eyes close and myself drift off.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke to a startle, sweat dripping down my head trying to catch my breath. I looked to my left to see that Daryl was not only awake but staring straight at me.

"Ya l'right?" Daryl asked in the thick Georgia accent.

I just nodded, sitting up in the sleeping bag, I wiped the sweat off of my forehead. "Ya talk in ya sleep ya know?". My face turned a bright crimson colour, I looked back over to say something but as I opened my mouth the words were stopped from coming out, by the tent door being flung open. 

There stood a pissed off Shane Walsh, darting his eyes from me then to Daryl, then back on me. "Whatcha want" Daryl grumbled.

"We got a problem" he said, not once taking his eyes off me, looking me up and down. 

"There's walkers in the barn and Rick's doing shit 'bout it I say we just go take 'em out, now before anyone gets hurt". 

My eyes widened at the mention of walkers, but when Shane told us about my dad, my eyes narrowed. I was glaring at him.

I knew something had happened while I was gone but I didn't know exactly what. Shane's been acting like he wants my dad gone. Everytime I see Lori and Shane trying to talk, Lori looks scared and Shane looks like hes enjoying being in power but he wants more, he wants my dad's place as leader of the group. 

I could feel Daryl's glare on the side of my head. I turned to face him, my face holding the same expression Shane put there. I turned back to face Shane. 

"We do what my dad told us too, he doesn't want to take the walkers out in the barn then we don't".

"You just sound like your old man, don't know shit from shit" he tutted, turning back around to leave the tent. Before he could do so, Daryl finally took his eyes off of me and looked back to Shane leaving. 

"Ya heard what she said, Rick says leave it, we leave it". Shane just shook his head while leaving the tent, leaving me and Daryl alone again. 

Mine and Daryls eyes were locked onto each others' once again, I finally managed to go back to this mornings topic of things.

"About this morni-" I started but quickly Daryl interrupted me. "Ya sayin' somen bout ya ma" he said. I dropped my eyes from his, looking down at the floor of the tent. "Ya can talk bout it" 

"No." I said quickly, "I don't want to talk about her, so just drop it and don't bring it up again" I spat.

I looked up at Daryl and without waiting for an answer, I walked out of the tent leaving him behind. I made my way over to Lori and Carol cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. Lori looked up to me with a disappointed look written all over her face. I stopped dead in my tracks, looking back at her full of confusion. She quickly walked over to me, stopping in front of me with a hand on her hip.

"I really thought more of you, Kaylee" she said sternly. When I continued to look at her confused, she carried on. "Sleeping with Daryl Dixon, he's bad news. I want you to stay away from him and out of his tent, before your dad finds out about this!" she said with her voice getting higher as she went on. 

I looked around and could see people had stopped what they had been doing to listen to mine and Loris apparent spat. "Lori I don't know what you're on about or who told you I slept with Daryl, but who ever told you that is wrong, Daryl gave me somewhere to sleep that's it. I'll tell dad myself, I don't care".

"I still want you out of his tent, Kaylee". I rolled my eyes, walking away from her and towards the house.

It had been a few hours since I had spoken to Daryl or Lori. Lori had kept her eyes on me, narrowing her eyes into a glare whenever me or Daryl had looked at each other. I wasn't angry at Daryl for what happened, he doesn't know and quite honestly, I don't want him to know about any of it. 

I was sitting on the porch next to Glenn and Maggie. I could see us being good friends, they had the same sense of humour I did. 

"You look like you should be in line for the early bird special" Maggie said, causing me to chuckle.

"Go get your cap. I'll wash it for you, okay?"

Glenn smiled to me and stood up from the porch as T-Dog and Andrea came towards us.

"Do you know what's going on?" T asked us. "Where is everyone?" Andrea asked next.

"You haven't seen my dad?" I asked them standing up next to Glenn, "He went off with Hershel, we were supposed to leave a couple of hours ago" T said.

"Yeah you were, what the hell?" Daryl grunted. I turned to see him and Carol approaching us. "Rick told us he was going out?" "Damn it. Isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail." Daryl was starting to get adjugated, I knew how much he wanted to find this little girl. Hell, I was told he was shot while trying to find her. 

"Oh here we go" he said, I turned my head to see Shane walk up to the house with the bag of guns on his shoulder. "What's all this?" he asked Shane, who didn't look like he was backing down. 

"Shane what're you doing?" I asked, only to be ignored as he passed Daryl a shotgun. "You with me man?" "Yeah" Daryl responded, taking the gun and checking the ammo. 

"It's time to grow up" Shane shouted. He turned to me, "you've got yours, right?" I shook my head and he placed a rifle in my hands. He nodded to me and continued to hand the guns out. "Where's Dale?" Andrea asked. "He's on his way". He handed a gun to T. "Thought we couldn't carry?" 

"We can and we have to" Shane said. He looked at all the confused and concerned faces. "Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't".

He held a gun out to Glenn. "How about you, man? You gonna protect yours?" Glenn looked to Maggie then back at Shane, and took the gun into his hands. "That's it. Can you shoot?" He looked to Maggie "Can you stop?" she said back. "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight" she warned.   
"We have to stay, Shane." I heard Carl saying, as he walked up closer behind me. "What is this?" Lori said, joining us all.

"We ain't going anywhere, okay?" He told us all. He's making his play while dad was gone. "Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay?" He continued "He-- Well, he's gonna have to. Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right? Huh?".

Shane took a small handgun out of his waistband and kneeled down in front of Carl, who stood bedside me "Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother and sister safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it". 

I quickly place my hand on Carls chest pushing him gently back to Lori. "Dad said no guns, this is not your call. This is not your decision to make." 

"Oh shit" T said breaking my eye contact away from Shane to where everyone is looking. It was my dad, Hershel and Jimmy coming out of the woods with what looked like two walkers attached to snare pole. Shane dropped the gun in his hands and rose to his feet.

"What is that?" He started running. Shit! I started running after him, everyone following behind us. "What is that?" Shane screamed as he continued to run towards my dad.

"Shane!" I shouted as he pushed the gate open. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted "Shane, just back off." dad said, holding a walker away from us with the pole. "Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked looking at us all.

"Are you kidding me? You see? You see what they're holding on to?" Shane continued to shout, pointing at Hershel and the walkers. This is going to get worse, I can feel it. "I see who I'm holding onto". "No, man, you don't." Shane spat. "Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk". Dad tried to calm Shane down, but there was no hope of that now. 

"What you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill! These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us. Shane, shut up! Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living, breathing person walk away from this?" he pulled his gun up and shot the walker Hershel had a hold on to, he shot twice more.

"That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?!" he shot again "Why is it still coming?" and again. I stood there shocked to what was happening. "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" "Shane, enough" dad shouted. " Yeah, you're right, man. That is enough." he walked up closer to Hershel and the walker, and shot the walker straight in the head, I jumped a little. The evil glint in his eye getting bigger and bigger, this man was nothing like the man I once knew. but is anyone the same as they were before or had everyone fallen this far? Shanes' shouting brought me out of thoughts and back on what was happening.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough. Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now." 

There were gasps at what he said, but Shane didn't care. He turned around and ran for the barn doors. "Take the snare pole" Dad shouted to Hershel but he wasn't listening, he was watching as Shane was finding something to open the doors with. "Hershel, take the snare pole. Hershel, listen to me, man, please. Take it now. Hershel! Take it!"

Shane bashed the lock on the barn doors as everyone was screaming at him to stop. "Shane stop it!" I shouted, but it didn't work, the barn doors were starting to open, he banged on the door to get the walkers' attention, like he hadn't done that already. He backed away getting his gun ready. Daryl turned his head to look at me, my scared blue eyes meeting his, he nodded to me and I gave a little nod back. I turned back to face the barn as the growls of walkers began to get louder, I got my rifle ready as the swarm of walkers flooded out of the barn and right for us. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Sexual assault attempt

Its been four days since Shane went crazy and opened the barn doors, four days since I actually slept. Whenever I close my eyes all I see is little Sofia's face, and I can still hear Carol screaming for her. 

Daryl is taking it just as bad as Carol is. He was the only person that would go out every day looking for her, I don't want to think what she went through before she died, then to turn up only a 100 yards away from the camp.

I was sitting on the porch with Carl, I can tell he misses Sofia. I know he wanted to be the one that found her. He didn't want to talk about it so instead we sat playing cards.

Dad started making his way towards us Glenn following behind him. "What's wrong?" I asked, standing up. He could never hide things from me, especially because I could read him so well. "Glenn and I are heading into town, we need to find Hershel"

Hershel hadn't been taking everything that well either. After the walkers in the barn came out and we took them down, it was like the light inside him had just turned off.

Everything he believed in was turned upside down and he didn't know what was real anymore, I guess, the realisation that his wife and step-son were actually dead and they couldn't be brought back with a cure hit hard and he left.

I nodded to dad and Glenn, "Kay I need you to keep an eye on things okay, make sure everyone's doing okay".

He was worried about things, I could see it in his eyes, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just shook it off and nodded to them again.

I had gotten my rifle from the RV and was slowly walking around the border of the farm. It was a quiet day and everyone was doing their own thing.

I heard the sound of crunching leaves coming my way. I took my rifle off my shoulder, aiming it in the direction the sound came from. I sighed in relief when Shane came out of the trees, and I lowered my gun. Shane looked up at me flashing me a devilish grin, the darkness in his eyes has grown over the past few days. 

He grabbed my arm pulling me into the trees away from the house. "Shane stop!" I yelped, his grip getting harder around my wrist. "Let go of me!" I screamed, only to receive a slap around the face. I looked up at him shocked and confused. This wasn't the man I met when I was seven. He pushed me against a tree, one arm pushed against my neck and the other still wrapped tightly around my wrist.

"Stop your screaming bitch!" He spat in my face angrily, he could see the pure fear in my eyes, as the tears I desperately tried to hold back made their way down my cheeks. Seeing this made him smirk. He pulled my knife out of its holder throwing it to the ground.

He moved his body closer to mine, so close that I could feel his breath on my cheek. "Your step-momma now she was good but your old man just had to come back and take my family away from me." I tried to look away and not at him, but he moved the arm resting on my neck and gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

"Now she was good, but I bet you're better". He kissed my cheek making me whimper. I couldn't let this happen to me, not again.

I yanked my arm as hard as I could trying to get out of Shane's grip, using my other arm to push him back. I took a swing for him hitting him square in the jaw. Shit, that hurt!

Shane stumbled back as I quickly went for my knife, as I went to pick it up he stomped on my hand, I cried out in pain. Shane pushed me back against the tree. "Help!!" I screamed. This time he punched me hard in the jaw making me scream again. "What did I tell you about screaming?!" He kneed me in my stomach, "keep it up and I'll kill you!" I stopped screaming, realising no one could hear me anyway, no one was coming to save me.

"That's better, now where were we?" he smirked down at me again, ripping my top down it's front exposing my bra. All I could do was cry.

He moved his hand down to my jeans slowly undoing them, just as he got the button free I closed my eyes.

"Get off of her!" was all I heard, as Shane's weight on top of me was gone. I opened my eyes slowly seeing Daryl on top of Shane, punching him.

I slid down the tree pulling my knees to my chest as I cried. "You ever touch her again I'll kill you! You even look her way we'll be right back here and I'll finish the job!" Daryl screamed in Shanes face, holding him down by his collar. He got off of him and slowly made his way over to me.

"Kaylee, it's okay" he slowly put his hands up crouching down beside me. When he went to put his hand on my shoulder I flinched and pulled away. "You're safe Kaylee I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, you're okay."

I slowly lifted my head from my knees to look at Daryl. What he said was true, he wouldn't let anyone hurt me, not again. I nodded my head slowly and Daryl did the same before he slowly lifted me up in his arms.

I buried my head into the crook of his neck, taking him all in, holding onto him tightly. He went to take me into the house, I pulled on his vest and shook my head. "Please just take me back to our tent." He looked down at me and nodded slightly before walking over to where our tent was.

He slowly put me down on my sleeping bag, he sat next to me slowly cleaning off the blood on my face.

"Thank you, Daryl" he looked up at me, not saying anything so I carried on. "For doing what you did." I winced as he dabbed the cut on my cheek. "sorry," he said, barely above a whisper. He put the cloth down and handed me one of his shirts. "Thanks"

"Daryl you can't tell my dad about this, please," I looked at him. "He'll find out, yer know he will." I sighed "I know but just please?" It was now Daryls turn to sigh, "fine."

I tried to give him a smile but just winced in pain instead, he rolled his eyes "yer need to rest." I nodded and l laid myself down on my pillow, Daryl stood up and went to walk out the tent. "Daryl?" He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.

"Could you stay with me please?" I asked, not being able to hide the scared tone in my voice. He nodded to me and sat back down on his sleeping bag. I closed my eyes trying to fall asleep but the flashes still continued. Shane, Sofia, my mom and worst of all, him.

I sighed opening my eyes, sleep wasn't happening right now. Instead I silently watched as Daryl made new bolts for his bow. A small smile tugged at my lips and a pang in my chest.

Wait what Kaylee? You can't start feeling like that, god who are we kidding? You started having those feeling the moment you first saw him.

You are well and truly falling Kaylee Grimes, and this won't end well.


	7. Chapter 7

I slowly peeled my eyes open the best I could, I looked over to Daryl's side of the tent he was gone along with his crossbow. I sighed, "Kaylee you can't really think this will go anywhere? He doesn't like you and never will!" My inner demons were already in full force today. 

I shook my head and sat up, I needed to get away from it all. I looked down realising I still had Daryl's top on, as much as I wanted to keep it on it was somewhat making me feel safe like how I felt in Daryls arms. I slowly lifted the top over my head looking down at myself and the damage Shane had done. I ran my fingers gently over the bruises, wincing slightly as I remember him doing it. I started to see flashes of Shane trying to hurt me, tears start to stream down my face as I shook my head, trying to forget about it but just as quickly as it came Shane's face was replaced with another. 

All I could see was him holding me down whilst my mom stood in the background and watched. I could still feel his hand around my throat and his breath on my cheek. I could still hear my mother scream telling me it was my fault, no one's but mine. 

I shook my head trying to get rid of the memories in my head. I wiped my tears and slid my combat boots on and grabbed my gun and holster from my bag, putting it back on my hip where it belonged. 

I quickly got out of the tent, the fresh air hitting my skin. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath trying to steady my breathing and calm down. I can't even imagine what my face looks like, everyone's going to be asking questions that I don't want to answer. I opened my eyes again squinting as the early morning sun shined down. People were slowly getting up for the day, dad and Glenn still aren't back from getting Hershel. Shane walked out of his tent looking directly to me making my stomach drop. Daryl didn't hold back, I could see his bruised face from here.

He looked at me questionably and started to make his way over to me. No he can't do this. I started to back up as his strides got longer, I couldn't breathe. Everything feels like it's closing in on me. I watched as Shane got closer and closer my back hitting the tent, he wasn't going to stop. I looked to the treeline and ran, not stopping as I ran through the woods looking back to see if anyone followed.

I started to slow down but it wasn't fast enough as I collided head first with something, I fell straight to the ground. 

"Whatcha think ya doing woman!" I looked up to see those ocean blue eyes looking down at me, its like I lost all ability to speak when I look into his eyes. Daryl grabbed onto my wrist helping me back to my feet, our eyes never leaving the others once. 

"I just had to get out of there, sorry" I sighed. "I could've shot ya, you know!" he bit back. "I'm sorry Daryl, I just couldn't stay in camp, not by myself" I broke eye contact and looked at the ground. 

"So what ya thought ya could just run through the woods by yourself?!" he raised his voice. I've never seen this side of Daryl. I looked back up at him tears streaming down my cheeks, "Ye just gunna get yourself lost, don't think I'll come looking for ya! stupid girl" he scoffed as he walked past me in the direction of camp. 

I quickly dried my eyes the best I could and carried on making my way through the woods. How I could think that Daryl would even like me is a joke, I'm just a stupid girl to him. I sat on the closest log in attempt to gather my thoughts but all I can think about is Daryl. 

Since he found me I've had a feeling I've never had before? Like butterflies or something, god I sound like a high school girl. I shiver just at the thought. But it's true, there's something about Daryl that just draws me to him. But it's about time I forget about it, he doesn't feel the same way and probably never will. I don't want to keep falling for someone who won't love me back. Wait, love, Kaylee? You can't love him for more than one reason. 

I stood up, about time I went back, will be good to prove Daryl wrong and not get lost. As I made it to the tree line I could see everyone gathered on the porch. Dad, Hershel, and Glenn were back. I sighed in relief they were okay, I started walking towards them when Daryl looked up at me. He still looked angry at me, he diverted his eyes, saying something to dad then walking off towards one of the barns.

Everyone seems to be on edge, what the hell happened? "Whats going on guys?" I asked when I got closer. All eyes quickly turned to me, I looked to my dad who was looking all over my face with a worried expression. Shit, I forgot about my face, I haven't even seen it to know how bad it looks. 

"Kay, what happened to you?" he asked fully of worry, he looked to everyone else but they said nothing. "I'm fine dad, I just fell you know what I'm like". I try and give him a smile without showing I'm in pain, he gives me a questioning look not believing a word I said. "So what's going on?" I asked again, but this time directed to Hershel and Glenn. 

Dad sighed and turned to them, thank god he dropped it for now. "Last night we were attacked in town" Glenn said. "what? what happened?" 

"Two men pulled their guns on us, then their friends came looking for them" Hershel said, I looked to dad but he refused to look at me. "One of them, Randel he hurt his leg. We brought him back so Hershel could help him" Glenn added.

"You brought one back?!" I didn't understand why? "He's just a kid Kaylee, we couldn't leave him out there" Hershel said calmly. "So now what? we don't know who this kid is and if him or his group are dangerous, which they kinda sound like they are" I pointed out. 

"We don't know, Daryls talking to him now" dad said finally looking at me straight in the eyes. I looked to where Daryl walked to, I started to feel a pit in my stomach. Kaylee stop now. 

Everyone started walking away except dad, Glenn, Shane, and Hershel. Dad looked to me again, about to say something when Carl came running up to us. 

"Kaylee! did you hear?" he asked me excited. I shake my head, "hear what?"

"We're going to have a baby brother or sister!" Wait Lori's pregnant? I looked up to dad. "seriously?" He smiles and nods. I looked behind him seeing the smug look on Shanes face. 

Oh no. 


	8. Chapter 8

_Daryl's POV_

I was in the barn trying to get answers from this kid Rick brought back. He couldn't be much older than Kaylee. Damn it Daryl, don't start thinking about her now. This ain't the time. 

This kid isn't giving me the truth so I hit him again, he starts grunting, letting little cries out as he spit out the blood in his mouth. "I told you!" he pants out. "You told me shit!" I grabbed him by his scruff pushing him back up to a sitting position. "I barely knew those guys, I met 'em on the road."

I looked down at the bleeding boy, "how many in your group?" 

He moves his head back and forth to the sides like he's trying to think "uhh..." Does this kid think I'm playing around here? I slowly pull my knife out from my hip, he watches me as I do so. "No no no no no no, come on man. " 

I shot forward, he jumps as I bring my knife down into the wood floor next to his leg. "How many?!" He looks at me getting more scared by the minute. "Uh 30, 30!" 

"Where?" I rip the bandage off his leg from where Hershel stitched him up. He screams. "Uh, I don't know I swear!" he says through gritted teeth. I held my knife down on his wound slowly applying more pressure. "We were never any place more than one night."

"Scouting?" I pressed a little harder. "Planning on staying local?" I asked. "I- I don't know man, they left me behind."

I inched my knife a little more asking him "you ever pick off a scab?" He tried to move his leg away. "Come on, man! - I'm-I'm trying to cooperate." I ignored him. "You start of real slow, at first." He grunts in pain. "Sooner or later you've just got to rip it off." 

"Okay, okay" he stutters, "They have weapons-- Heavy stuff, automatics. But I didn't do anything." I kept my knife in place. "Your boys shot at my boys, tried to take this farm. You just went along for the ride? You're trying to tell me you're innocent?"

"Yes!" he cried out. "These-- these people took me in. Not just guys-- A whole group of 'em. Men and women, kids too." I took my knife out of his leg and stood back, turning around letting him carry on as I listened. 

He keeps looking at me as he continues, "Thought I'd have a better chance with them, you know? But we go out, scavenge," he diverted his eyes from me and looked to the ground.

"One night- we found this campsite, A man and his two daughters-- Teenagers, you know? Real young. Real cute." he looked back up to me as I turned around getting closer to him "Their daddy had to watch while these guys-- they-- And they didn't even kill him afterwards. They just-- They just made him watch as his daughters-- They just-just-- just left him there." 

My mind went straight to Kaylee, and what happened with Shane. This just made me angrier and Randell could see I was just about at my tipping point. "No, no but I didn't touch those girls. Now I swear, I swear I-" I interrupted him kicking him in his side. He yells out in pain as he begs me. "Please, you've got to believe me man, I aint like that." I kicked him again as he fell to his side crying in pain. 

I walked out of the barn, seeing Kaylee sitting right outside. I couldn't do this right now, I was pissed as hell and I don't want her anywhere near this kid. "What the hell ya doin Kaylee?" Seeing her face all bruised and cut makes me more angry, I should have been there to protect her, instead she got hurt. 

She looks up at me her eyes still shining bright through her black eye and swollen cheek, they look directly into mine. That annoying feeling comes back as she continues to look at me. "I heard it all." She looks down to my blood covered knuckles, I quickly move them to the sides of my body. "Ya shouldn't be here, go!" I could see the hurt in her eyes as she got up and walked away from me. 

I sigh, I hate seeing her hurt but I shouldn't care, I cant care. But seeing her hurt makes me want puke. I shake off this feeing I have and walk over to the rest of camp to fill Rick in. 

Everyone's gathered around looking at me waiting for what I have to say. Kaylee stands next to Rick keeping her eyes glued to the ground. 

"Your boy there's got a gang, 30 men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. and our women, they're gonna..." Kaylee looks up as I look at her, carrying on, "they're gonna wish they were." 

"What did you do?" Carol asks looking at my knuckles. "We had a little chat." 

"No one goes near this guy." Rick tells us all. "Rick, what are you gonna do?" Lori asks him. "We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat," he says calmly before walking away with Dale following him. I look back to Kaylee who's walking back to our tent. I look around and see Shane looking towards Kaylee too, he turns his attention to me and smirks. I promised her I wouldn't let anyone hurt her again and I intend to keep that. 

All I could hear was Merele's voice in my head, "Awh little Darylina loves Officer friendlys little girl, how sweet of you." I don't love her, Dixons don't do love. 

I follow after Rick, where him and Dale are talking. "You're just going to kill him?" Dale says, he's obviously not okay with Rick's plans. 

"It's settled, I'll do it today," Rick says sternly. I stand next to him leaning against the fence around the gate. 

Dale looks at him in disbelief, and starts walking away. 

Rick runs his hand through his hair sighing, I look over to him. "You made the right decision man. " He looks up to me giving me a slight nod. 

He's silent for a moment before saying "what happened to Kaylee?" I looked down at the ground. "I know she didn't just fall, not with that damage, and your knuckles were bruised before you went in to see Randell." 

I looked back up at him not saying a word, he sighed but still pushed for an answer. "Daryl, Shane's knuckles. His face. What the hell happened?!" 

I got off the fence stepping away from it. I promised Kaylee, I can't go back on that. 

"I haven't seen that look on Kaylee's face for years, I wasn't here, you were! You need to tell me what happened!" He was getting angry and so was I. I didn't want to think of what he did to her, what I couldn't protect her from. 

"What the hell do you think happened, huh?!" I shouted back at him. He looked at me confused for a second but quickly I could see his jaw clench along with his fists. 

"He's your partner, your best friend, go talk to him!" I turned around and walked into the woods, I can't be around this camp for a while. I basically did the one thing I said I wouldn't. 

After hunting and calming down it had gotten dark and I head back to my tent. When I go in I see a curled up Kaylee fast asleep. I sigh as I sit down on my sleeping bag, every time I look at this girl I get this feeling I ain't ever had before, ever since the day I found her out in the woods. Since the moment she locked her beautiful blue eyes onto mine, I felt like I had to protect her. 

I couldn't and wouldn't fall for her, she's Rick's daughter and I couldn't do that to him. Plus she deserves better than a redneck piece of trash like me. I laid down rubbing my hands on my face, she's starting to break down my walls without even knowing so. I turned to look at her peacefully sleeping. Even with the bruises and cuts on her face she was still beautiful. I closed my eyes drifting off into a restless sleep. 

I woke up to the sound of tent zipper closing, I opened my eyes and turned to see Kaylee was no longer curled up asleep. 

I sat up looking around the tent seeing her knife and gun both gone. I look outside it's still the middle of the night, what's this girl doing? 

I stood up picking up my crossbow opening the tent door up. I look around the full moon providing me the light I needed. I look around camp, but she wasn't there nor near the house or barn. I scanned the tree line seeing a small figure slowly disappear in to the dark woods, I sigh, Kaylee. 

I close the tent door back up, following the direction Kaylee went in. I walk in to the trees, the moon light peeking through the trees enough for me to see her tracks. 

I follow her tracks, quickly catching up just behind her. She sits on the ground, leaning back against the tree, looking up. 

I keep walking closer as the leaves under my boots crunched letting her know of my presence. 

She quickly grabbed her gun and turned pointing it directly at me. "Damn girl don't shoot" I said still walking towards her. "Daryl, what the... why the hell are following me?!" She whisper yelled. 

"Making sure ya don't get ya ass killed in the damn woods!" I yelled back standing next to her, she lowered her gun putting it back in its holster. "I'm fine Daryl, you can go back" she says softly leaning back against the tree, looking up into the sky. 

"What ya doin in the woods at night Kaylee?" I asked, still standing there. "Looking at the stars" she said simply, keeping her eyes glued on the night sky. 

I look up and sure enough from where we are, there's a patch in the trees and the stars are shining brightly. 

I looked back down at Kaylee, how she looks at the stars intently and with fascination in her eyes, the moonlight making them shine even more brightly than the stars. 

I pulled my crossbow off my shoulder placing it on the ground, slowly sitting down next to her. She turns her head to look at me, I look into her eyes seeing her pain and I can't help but hate seeing her like this, feeling responsible for it. 

She gave me a small smile, and turned back to look at the stars. "Why Kaylee?" I asked quietly, she sighs, looking down to her hands in her lap then back up. 

"When I was younger, my grandpa used to take me out at night to watch the stars" she said trying to keep her emotions in check as she continued. "He used to tell me that life would get better, that it wasn't about pain and people hurting you, it was about love and happiness. Told me if I ever need to escape to look at the stars for a reminder of what life's really about." She kept her eyes on the night sky, I just looked at her with a smile on my face, I can see the pain in her eyes but she does so well to hide it from others. 

"I would do it too, when life got to be too much I'd sneak out in the night to look up at the stars and remember what he'd said to me that night. He said 'Lee no matter what happens or what anybody tells you, I'll love you till the seas run dry and the last star stops burning.' That was the last time I saw him before he died my mom didn't let me go to his funeral. They'd argued that day, I didn't find out till I was older that he tried to get custody, but because my mom and dad were in a long court battle already, they denied it to him. He always protected me till he couldn't anymore."

She quickly wiped the stray tear rolling down her cheek, what happened to her? I hate whatever it was, I hated seeing her in pain knowing there was nothing I could do to help her. Why did her Grandpa need to protect her? she was just a kid. 

"He'd be proud of ya" I said quietly, she turned to look at me. I could see the tears in her eyes threatening to spill any second, she gave me a small smile then turned to look down at her hands in her lap. 

We sat there in silence for a few moments, it was surprisingly not awkward or uncomfortable. It was comfortable. I kept my eyes on her the whole time, not being able to look away. When she smiled at me, I felt something inside me cracking open, as my walls were slowly being demolished by a girl I just met. Someone like her wouldn't want someone like me. I'm just redneck trash. Nothing more, nothing less. 

She pulled her knees to her chest laying her head to the side on top of them and she looked to me. She looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and I just wanted to free her from it all. 

Daryl you know you can't feel this way, but damn it, I was and it's slowly killing me, that's for sure. 

I turned to look else where in the dark woods as she softly spoke once again. "Did you know Lori's pregnant?" I looked back to her and nodded. "Yeah, found out this morning." 

"It's not his you know, my dad's." I looked down "nah, Shane's." She lifted her head up looking at me shocked and confused. "How?" 

"Back in Atlanta, when she said ya old man was dead, it ain't like they were trying to hide it." 

She sighed, leaning her head back on the tree, "I just can't believe it from either of them." 

"Forget about it, anyway I've never heard someone call you Lee, not even your old man or brother?"

"Yeah I know, it was something my grandpa used to call me, no one else really liked it." She shrugged. "Well I do." She looked at me confused and I just shrugged. Standing up, I offered my hand to her and she gladly accepted. I helped her stand to her feet, as our eyes locked when she stood in front of me. We kept our eyes locked for a few moments before I looked away, picking up my crossbow. 

"We should head back, come on," I said before turning away and walking back to camp. I could hear her light footsteps behind me so I carried on leading the way back. 

I don't know what's happening to me, Dixon's don't do love! Only person to ever love me or ever will love me is my brother! Always been that way, always will be. Ain't nobody gunna love white trash, plus Rick's a friend and I couldn't do that. 

Even if that hurt me.


	9. Chapter 9

_Kaylee's POV_

I was slowly following behind Daryl, I had just told him about my past. I don't do that. No one needs to know, and quite frankly I don't want them to. 

Daryl stopped walking as he reached the tree line, looking back to me. Why did I tell him? I guess it felt natural, it felt easy to talk to him. Weird, considering Daryl talks the least in the group. 

I stopped next to him, looking towards his eyes as the moonlight hit them just right, making the blue sparkle. I could stare at this man all day, his perfect shaped jaw, his scruffy hair that gets longer by the day falling into his face. Our eyes were locked as they always seemed to do when looking at each other. There was more emotion there now, he's always been hard to read but I'm slowly starting to be able to read his emotions. He didn't ask questions about what I had told him about my grandpa, he just sat and listened to me. But it looked like he wanted to ask those questions now. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but all we heard were screams. Screams? I looked around trying to pin point what directions they were coming from. The person was still screaming what sounded like in pain. 

I looked back up to Daryl, as he looked down at me giving me a slight nod. I took this as my go, and started running as fast as I could towards the screams. 

I could hear Daryl running behind me, as we got closer to the screams our worst fear had come true. A walker on top of Dale clawing at his stomach ripping it open. Daryl tackled the walker off him as I dropped to my knees beside Dale. 

Daryl took care of the walker and quickly joined my side next to Dale. My hands were pressed to his stomach trying to stop the bleeding, it was too big. I turned to Daryl, "give me your shirt, now!" I said frantically. 

He looked at me confused but quickly took it off, leaving him in just his vest. He handed me his shirt as I pressed it down to Dale's wound. 

I knew there was nothing we could do, a walker caused this he will turn but I couldn't just watch him bleed out like this. 

"Help! Over here!" Daryl shouts as the others started running towards where we were in the field. I kept my eyes on Dale as he did with me. 

"It's okay, just look at me, okay?" He gave me a small nod through his tears, my eyes were starting to water as I tried to hold it all back. 

"Hang in there, buddy," Daryl said to him. Everyone was starting to get closer now, as I could their shouts. "Who is it?" Andrea asked full of fear. 

Dad and Shane were the first to get to us, I could hear the gasps. Dad kneeled down beside Dale's head, looking at him. "All right just listen to my voice, just listen to me." 

Dale broke his eye contact from me looking up at dad, he was starting to choke on his blood, but I kept my hands pressed on his stomach. You know you can't save him, Kaylee. 

"Just listen to me alright, hold on now," dad continued, "Get Hershel!" he shouted. "Dad," I called to him, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks, he either didn't hear me or isn't responding. "Dad!" I said louder this time, getting his attention. I shook my head to him, but he just shook his back. "Kaylee, you and Hershel can help him." 

"He needs blood, we've got to operate now!" he said, standing up. Andrea took his place kneeling next to him, taking his hand "hang on Dale, hang on." 

"Just listen to my voice okay, just listen to me, " I said trying to hold back more tears from falling. "Get Hershel!" 

Dale's eyes were darting between mine and Andrea's, his breathing getting more raspy. 

"Kaylee, we have to do something," dad said frantically. I looked up to him as Hershel came over he looked down at Dale getting paler by the second, the life slowly being sucked away. 

"Can we move him?" dad asks Hershel, he looks down to my hands then back to my face asking a silent question, I shook my head. 

"He wont make the trip," Hershel said calmly. I could see dad wasn't getting it and this is becoming worse for everyone, especially Dale, who was suffering more as time went on. 

"You're going to have to the operation here, both of you," he said looking between us again. "Glenn get back to the house!" 

"Rick," Hershel said more firmly, putting his hand on dad's shoulder. He looked at him, then down to me, as I slowly let the pressure on his stomach go, moving my blood soaked hands away. 

"No!" dad shouted turning around now, while running both hands through his hair. Everyone was crying, not being able to comprehend what was happening. 

"Dale" Andrea sobbed by his side, I took Dale's hand, squeezing it as he gripped mine tightly. He kept his eyes focused on me as he yelled in pain. 

"He's suffering, " Andrea says, "Do something". In the corner of my eye I see dad pull his python out of its holder, his hand shaking as he pointed it towards dales head. 

"Oh God" Andrea whimpered, turning away from him but I kept my eyes focused on Dale's and my hands. He kept his grip tight refusing to let go, not that I would anyway. 

It felt like time had stood still as dad kept the gun pointed to his head, an internal dilemma happening as he couldn't seem to be able to pull the trigger on his friend. 

Daryl came up beside him taking the python slowly out of his hands. He knelt down next to Dale, brining the gun closer to his head. Dale diverted his eyes from me for a moment as he looked towards Daryl, giving him a slight nod, then turning back to me. 

Everyone had turned away, not wanting to see Dale's life being ended as they cried. Dale's grip somehow continued to grow stronger as we looked at each other, I could see the fear and pain. I didn't want to see him suffer like this, no one deserves it, especially not Dale.

"I'm sorry, brother," I heard Daryl say to Dale. I jump at the sound of the gun going off. 

His grip on my hand immediately loosening, as the life in his eyes faded away. 

He was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been what felt like hours since Dale's life had been ripped away from him. I was still sat on my knees in the cold, damp field. My wet and sticky hands still clamped around Dale's cold and lifeless ones. 

My eyes were still clamped shut as the tears now fell down my cheeks, I could hear the sobs and shuffles of everyone as they were making their way from were Dale's body lay. 

I felt a pair of hands wrap around my shoulders. I jump slightly opening my eyes to see my dad kneeling in front of me. His eyes bloodshot from crying, he tried to lift me to my feet but I shrugged him off not saying a word, just holding onto Dale's hand. 

"Kay, we need to bury him" he says, his voice breaking as he did. "I'm sorry" I looked up to see everyone else had gone, except Daryl, dad, and of course Shane. They were all looking down at the lifeless body, and me, unsure what to do. 

I hated this, death. We were always fighting it, even before the end of the world, but these days you could probably say death is winning more often than not. 

"Kaylee, we have to" Shane spoke up, but there was no sadness in his voice, he didn't sound broken like dad had or tears flowing like the rest of us did. It was like he was emotionless, like he didn't feel anything. Maybe that's the way so you don't get hurt? No more pain. 

"I got her" I heard the Georgia accent draw out, the sound of his voice making me feel safer. He knelt down in front of me putting his arms around my shoulders and standing with me, Dale's hands slipping out of mine. 

I took one last look at Dale before Daryl walked me away, he kept his arm wrapped around my shoulders the whole way back, only letting go when we reached the door to our tent.

I looked down at my hands and arms, they were covered in blood, not able to see any of my actual skin under it.   
I walked in the tent behind Daryl, quickly picking up a cloth and wiping my arms only making smear more. I was getting frustrated. I couldn't look at it, the blood, Dale's blood.I started rubbing harder, desperate to get it off me. 

I'm fine with blood, and dead bodies. I saw them all the time before everything happened, but something about it now affected me differently, I couldn't explain it.   
I felt the cloth being taken out of my hand, I looked up seeing Daryl standing in front of me, a worried expression on his face mixed with sadness. He held my arms out one by one cleaning the blood of them with the help of some water. 

I kept my eyes on him, watching him, he let my arms go then looked up to my face bringing the cloth to my face rubbing my cheek gently. I guess I had more blood on me than I thought. The feeling of Daryl's fingertips gently running down my cheek sent a shiver down my spine, and I sucked in a deep breath. 

After a while he put the cloth down, he was still standing in front of me his eyes roaming around my face before finally setting on my eyes. The sides of my mouth slightly twitched into a small smile, "thank you" I said quietly. I don't think we've ever been this close, well except when he carried me back here after Shane. 

He gave me a slight nod before stepping back, and turning around. I sat on my sleeping bag, picking up my backpack to find clean clothes.

I couldn't help but keep looking up and over to Daryl, he had taken his vest off now standing there shirtless. My heart was beating faster, and the pit in my stomach was just getting worse. Daryl turned around to get his own clean shirt from his bag. as he did this I couldn't help but notice the scars covering his back. I never noticed those before, but how could I have? It's not like I've seen Daryl shirtless before. I was still looking as Daryl had turned around slipping on his new shirt. I quickly diverted my eyes back to my own bag. 

I heard Daryl grunt before the tent door had swung open, I looked up seeing Daryl had gone. I sighed, I shouldn't have been staring but I wanted to know more. Where had he gotten the scars I can only guess but he obviously didn't want to talk about it. I got that, we both have history's and scarred backs we don't want to talk about.

I quickly got changed before laying down on my sleeping bag, it had gotten quiet again so everyone was probably back in their own tents and asleep. The tent door opened again and Daryl came in this time with his crossbow, he must have left it out there. 

He dropped it to the floor before collapsing down to his own sleeping bag. I kept my eyes to the ceiling of the tent, as Daryl remained silent. He didn't want to talk about what I saw, and I wasn't going to push him, like he didn't push me. 

It was silent for a while before Daryl spoke up, "where'd ya know how to do that?" he asked. I turned my head to face him seeing he was already looking at me, for how long I don't know. Just seeing his face sent butterflies to my stomach and knot on my chest. 

"I was in med school before the outbreak" I said, I loved medical school it was everything I wanted it to be and more. "You gunna be a doctor?" he asked, I smiled "I was going for surgery, it was all I ever wanted to do." He just nodded in response. 

"What about you?" I asked, now curious, he grunted in response. I'll take that for him not wanting to talk about it. "You go to school in Georgia?" he asked. I think this might be the most I've ever heard him talk, but I'm not complaining, his voice calms me for some reason. I could listen to this forever, whoa now Kaylee calm down. he doesn't even like you, remember stupid girl. 

"No, New York. I got out of Georgia as fast as I could. Didn't think I'd ever come back honestly, guess it only took the end of the world" I chuckled. I heard a little chuckle from Daryl, making me smile a little more.

I closed my eyes preparing to sleep, all I could think of were tonight's events, so much has happened. I stopped and thought about earlier thinking that being emotionless is the way to be in the world now, but I was wrong, you can't have love without pain. 'Life's not about pain and people hurting you, Lee, its about love and happiness,' my grandpa's words filling my mind. 

Love and happiness in a world like this, maybe I'm crazy to think there's still a chance at that, but it can't be about death, we had to keep on living. 


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up to the early morning sun shining down through the window of the tent.

I quickly sat up pulling my boots on, and my hair up and out of my face. I walked out of the tent to see everyone walking around packing up the camp we were planning on moving into this house today. I started making my way over to Lori and Carol, I haven't really spoken to Lori since finding out about her and Shane and now the baby. 

"Where is everyone?" I asked them both as they turned to face me, Carol gave me a half smile before filling me in. "We're going to have a small service for Dale, the others are just doing a few things before that." 

I could feel my heart drop at that very second. "Oh. " I hated funerals, well who liked them really? Yeah I wanted to go to my grandpa's to say goodbye but I still hated them.   
Lori wrapped her arm around my shoulder, "It's okay, Kaylee," she gave me a small smile. I smiled back, I don't forgive her just yet for being with Shane, but she was still my family and that's what mattered. 

Lori, Carol and myself slowly made our way over to were the graves had been dug, there was one for little Sofia, Hershel's wife and step-son and one for Otis, the man that shot Carl but then died getting the stuff Hershel needed to save his life. 

Lori made her way over and stood by dad and Carl, I kept my distance standing by myself. I listen to dad talk about Dale, everyone had been crying but I refused too. 

"Dale could-- could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale." 

Daryl had made his way to the back of the group and stood beside me as we continued to listen to dad talk. 

"He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us-- The truth Who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honour him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, Our safety, our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on We're gonna do it his way. That is how we honour Dale."

Everyone slowly made their way back to the camp, Daryl still by my side as we walked back. 

"I'm gonna go 'round perimeter check for any breaks or any lurking walkers" Shane said, dad nodded to him. "Take people with you" 

"I'll take, Andrea, T and how about you Daryl?" Shane asked, Daryl scoffed turning away from us and started walking towards the woods. "I'm goin' huntin'" he called back before disappearing into the woods. 

"Well looks like its just us" Shane said to T and Andrea. They all climbed into the blue pick-up before taking off around the farm. 

"I'm going to start packing up" I said to dad quickly, walking away. I haven't had a proper conversation with dad since he got back from going to town. I didn't really want to, I was scared he can tell I'm lying from a mile off so avoiding is the best thing for now, but is that really smart Kaylee? 

I walked over to mine and Daryl's tent, slowly packing it all away into mine and Daryl's bags and strapping them to his bike. It wasn't that far of a walk to the house but it will be easier this way. 

It had been a few hours and I'd finally finished packing away everyone and secured it to the bike. Daryl was still out hunting so I left the bike there not wanting to touch his pride and joy with him not around. 

I made my way to the front of the house where everyone seemed to be. Carol smiled up at me as I took one of her bags off her. It was going to be cramped in the house with 15 people but we were going to make it work if we wanted to stay warm for winter. 

It was getting later into the afternoon and we had nearly everything in the house, well minus mine and Daryl's things. Daryl had just made it back from hunting, only a few rabbits and squirrels around his belt. 

"is that Dale's gun?" he asked T, while looking over a hand gun. "Yeah" T said. "Wish I knew where the hell mine is" he said, I didn't even know Daryl had a gun, just his crossbow. 

T-Dog closed the back of the pick up as dad made his way over, "ready?" he asked them both. I looked at them confused, "what's going on?" dad looked to me. "Me and Daryl are taking Randell out, do what Dale wanted let him go far away from here." I looked over to Daryl, he gave me a slight nod letting me know it was okay. 

"Okay" I said sighing, "I'll go get the package" T said walking over to the barn that holds Randell. "Thanks" dad called after him. 

"Oh hell no!" we heard T shout, "He's gone!" 

Dad, Daryl and I all ran over to the barn, we looked inside and T was right, Randell was gone. "What's wrong?" Lori asked as the rest of the group came over to the barn. "Randell's missing," Glenn told them. "Missing? Missing how?" Maggie asked, "How long's he been gone?" Hershel asked.

"It's hard to say, " dad said coming out of the barn. "Cuffs are still hooked he must have slipped them." 

"Is that possible?" Carol asked him. "It as if you've got nothing to lose" I answered coming out too. "The door was secure from the outside," Hershel pointed out, I looked up to dad, he just looked more confused by the situation.

"Rick!" We heard shouting, we all turned in the direction seeing Shane come out of the woods his face covered in blood from what looked like a broken nose. I couldn't say I wasn't happy about that. 

"What happened?" Lori shouted as Shane got closer to the group, I felt a hand wrap around my wrist pulling me backwards, I looked up seeing it was Daryl pulling me behind him. "He's armed, he's got my gun, " Shane said obviously pissed off. "You okay?" Carl asked. 

"I'm fine, little bastard just snuck up on me and clocked me in the face. " I could hear the anger dripping from his words as he said them.

"Alright, Hershel, T-dog get everyone back in the house, Glenn and Daryl come with us," dad said, Daryl pulled his crossbow off his shoulder loading it, ready. 

"I'm coming too" I told them, "Kay, " dad said trying to talk me out of it. "I said I'm coming too."

"T, I'm going to need that gun" Shane said grabbing it off him. "Just let him go, that was the plan wasn't it? To let him go?" Carol said, worried about what was going on. I quickly ran back to the house grabbing my rifle, like hell I was going out there without all my weapons. 

I made my way back over to the group as dad was explaining "The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun." Dad was angry too, I couldn't stay knowing the two men I care about are going out there. 

"Don't go out there, y'all know what can happen" Carol said to me. "We'll be okay" I told her. "Lock all the doors and stay put!" Dad said as he followed Shane into the woods, Glenn and Daryl following, I kissed Carl on his head then followed after them.

I don't have a good feeling about this.


	12. Chapter 12

I was walking behind the rest of the men, Dad and Shane up front with Daryl and Glenn just behind them. 

"I saw him head that way." Shane pointed up ahead, "it was just before I blacked out, I'm not sure how long?" We all had our guns out and ready if we needed them, especially if Randell was armed with Shane's gun. 

"He couldn't have gotten far" dad said, "He's hobbled, exhausted." I kept quiet walking behind Daryl, the uneasy feeling in my stomach not going away. 

"And armed" Glenn pointed out. "So are we, " dad said bluntly, he turned to Daryl. "Can you track him?" he asked. 

Daryl was looking down to the floor of the woods, looking for any sign of tracks that belonged to Randell. "No I don't see nothing," Daryl said slightly confused. He started walking around looking for any other signs that anyone was here. 

"Hey, no use in tracking him" Shane said, still angry. The look on his face was something I had grown used to seeing, the hatred he had for people, for my dad, was shining right through. "He went that way," he pointed further into the woods. 

"We just need to pair up," he said looking towards me. Daryl seemed to notice, as he moved to stand slightly in front of me. Shane smirked as he continued talking, "we spread out, chase him down. that's it." He's moved his eyes from me and Daryl, to looking at dad now. 

"Kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. You trying to tell us he got the jump on you?" Daryl said, not believing as word coming out of his mouth. "I'd say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" Shane spat back as he started getting closer to us both. I took a step back as dad stood in between them "All right, all right knock it off." 

Daryl kept his eyes pinned on Shane, not backing down. "You, Kaylee and Glenn take up the right flank, me and Shane will take the left," he told us. 

Daryl turned back around to me, I gave him a small nod saying I was okay. We started walking away from the pair before dad stopped us. "Remember, Randell's not the only threat out there. Keep an eye out for each other." Daryl gave him a nod before we continued walking through the woods, Shane following after dad. 

We'd been walking for at least half an hour, it had gotten dark now. I kept myself close to both men, not wanting to get separated. Daryl was still looking all over the floor for tracks, but coming up empty handed. The only sound that could be heard were the crunching of the leaves under our shoes as we slowly made our way through the woods. 

We slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Daryl looking around at both of us. "This is pointless," he sighed, "you got a light?" Daryl asked, reaching for the one Glenn had in his hands. 

He turned the torch on, shining it on the floor looking for tracks. I watched the light as Daryl moved it further into the woods. "Ugh! Come on," Daryl said before walking off the way we came, I quickly followed him. Daryl turned to face me, a concerned look on his face matching mine. Something was wrong. 

As we walked, Daryl had the torch on the floor still, as we came across a fallen tree. The same fallen tree where we had left dad and Shane. "We're back to square one," Glenn pointed out, making me turn to face them. "If you're gonna do a thing, you might as well do it right."

We continued walking in a different direction before Daryl spotted something. "There's two set of tracks here," he pointed to the ground as I came up next to him, looking down to see what he meant. "Shane must have followed him for a lot longer than he said, " I said to Daryl making him look up at me. At this point we both knew he was lying, which was making me worried for my dad, he was out there alone with this man. The same man that knocked up his wife and wanted him gone. Daryl could see straight through my 'brave face,' knowing exactly what I was thinking. 

Daryl followed the set of tracks with the torch, pointing it directly at the tree in front of us as he started walking towards it, Glenn and me following right behind him. "There's fresh blood on this tree," he pointed out. Me and Glenn looking at each other, then around in the dark woods. 

"There's more tracks," Daryl said, pointing the torch at them. "Looks like they're walking in tandem." Glenn looked up at me confused as we carried on following the tracks, Glenn was starting to get nervous, I could tell by his breathing. Hell, I didn't really blame him, I only felt safe because Daryl was here. Really Kaylee? Now is not the time, danger, remember?

Glenn stumbled into Daryl, "Sorry," he mumbled to him, Daryl just shook his head slightly, I couldn't help the small smile that crept its way on to my face. 

"Yeah, there was a little dust up right here," Daryl said pointed to the ground where you could see something happened. 

"What does that mean?" Glenn asked, confused. "It means something went down," I answered before Daryl had the chance. "This is getting weird," Glenn said. 

Daryl stopped walking again. "Had a little trouble," Glenn picked up the fabric that was used to tie Randell's hands together. We all just looked at each other before we heard a branch braking from the distance, we quickly ran behind the a tree. I put my rifle over my shoulder taking my knife out instead. We all looked around seeing a lone walker, walking through the woods. 

Daryl got Glenn's attention, chucking the torch back at him. We waited for the walker to get closer before Glenn stepped out from behind the trees, he shined the light onto the walker freezing as he did so. The walker was Randell. He was dead and had turned. He came at Glenn before Glenn was pushed to the floor. Daryl aimed and fired only to miss, and for it to push Daryl over and against a tree. 

I ran over quickly holding the walker back as Daryl swiped his legs out from under him taking both me and Randell out. Randell landed on top of me as I had my arms around it, I rolled myself and the walker over before shoving my knife into its skull. 

I felt myself being pulled to my feet, I turned to see Daryl looking me over, for bites probably. I kept my focus on him as I tried to catch my breath. "You 'lright?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he looked at me intently. His hand still on my shoulder. 

I just gave a simple nod before turning my attention back to Randell, Daryl moved his hand off my shoulder making the warm feeling go away immediately, only to be replaced with fear that something still wasn't right. 

Glenn looked at both of us back and forth before setting his eyes on me. He patted my back before he turned to look at Randell. "Nice," he said, I gave him a nod, unable to get my words out. 

He leaned down before pulling my knife out of Randell's skull, handing it back to me. "Thanks," I mumbled. 

Daryl kneeled down next to the body laying on the ground, looking him over. He pushed his head from side to side. "He got his neck broken," he told us. I looked over to Glenn who had the same look of confusion I had. 

We both kneeled down next to Daryl as he flipped Randell's body over, pulling up his shirt and trouser legs. "He's got no bites." 

"Yeah, none you can see" Glenn said. 

"No, I'm telling you he died from this," Daryl said, pointing to Randell's broken neck. He looked just as confused as me and Glenn. "How's that possible?" I asked, knowing neither of them had the answer. 

He stood back up, grabbing his bolt that had hit the tree, and started to walk back. I got up following behind, the uneasy feeling not going away. Something was still wrong. 

When Glenn caught up with us, I reached my hand out to Daryl's shoulder making him stop and turn around, "I need to go find my dad," I told him.

"Na, we don't split up," he said before turning back around to walk away, but I stayed were I was. "Daryl, I'm going to find him, I don't trust Shane." 

He turned back to look at me, an angry look on his face, just Shane's name made his blood boil. "I'm going, okay?" 

"Fine, go get ya self killed, see if I care," he spat before turning and walking back into the direction of the house. Glenn looked at me, confused on what he should do. I gave him a small smile. "Go back, I'll be okay, " I told him. 

He looked unsure before giving me a small nod and following after Daryl. I felt my eyes start to well up with tears wanting to force their way out, but I couldn't cry, I had to find dad. I can't think about Daryl, you knew he didn't care, Kaylee. 

I took a deep breath before I started walking in the direction dad and Shane went in. It didn't take me long to reach the edge of the forest the led to an open field at the back of the farm. I could no longer hear the peaceful wind that was blowing, no it was replaced with shouting. Those familiar voices shouting, Shane and dad. I stayed back as I listened in, making sure not to be seen. 

I watched as dad holstered his gun standing a few feet in front of Shane, "So this is where you planned to do it?" he asked him, his voice full of pain. "It's as good a place as any," Shane responded, his voice filled with hatred. I couldn't see his face from here but I knew what he was trying to do. He wanted my dad dead. 

"At least have the balls to call this what it is," dad said as Shane took his gun out from his waistband. "Murder." Apparently dad knew too, he knew Shane wanted him dead since he came back. "You really believe if you walk back onto that farm alone, No me, no Randell."

"I want you to hush up." Shane said starting to lose his temper even more than he already had, dad had turned around now pacing back and forth.   
"You really believe they're gonna buy whatever bullshit story you cook up?" he asked him. "That's just it. It ain't no story. I saw that prisoner shoot you down. I ran after him. I snapped his neck. It ain't gonna be easy, but Lori and Carl, they'll get over you. They've done it before. They're just gonna have to." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He'd really thought it through that much, he has a cover story and everything. 

"What about Kaylee, huh?" my dad asked. "You know she won't believe the shit you tell her." 

Shane just chuckled like what dad said wasn't going to be a problem. "She doesn't matter," he said simply as he raised his gun and pointed it at my dad. Come on Kaylee, do something, I gripped tighter on my rifle. 

"You're gonna kill me in cold blood? Screw my wife? Have my children-- my children-- call you daddy? Is that what you want?" Dad spat at him, this isn't going to end well.   
"I know you. You won't be able to live with this." Dad was trying to reason with him, it won't work. "What do you know about what I can live with? You got no idea what I can live with, what I do live with! You wanna talk about what I can do, Rick?" he said smugly. 

"When you're gone, I'll have Lori and Carl. And Kaylee," he chuckled. "Well lets just say I see what her step-daddy saw in her." 

Dads face dropped, the rage filling his eyes, Shane saw this too. "What was his name?" he asked him, my breathing suddenly getting heavier as I listened to what Shane was saying. 

"Oh I remember, James, now he got to have his fun with her, as soon as I get rid of you, and that dumb redneck, I can have my turn and finish what I started," he smirked. 

"Raise your gun," he taunted him. "No, no I will not," dad said. 

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I wanted Shane dead after what happened. He threatened the people I love, this couldn't keep happening. 

"What happened, Rick? I thought you weren't the good guy anymore. Ain't that what you said? Even right here, right now, you ain't gonna fight for 'em? I'm a better father than you, Rick. I'm better for Lori than you, man. It's 'cause I'm a better man than you, Rick. 'Cause I can be here and I'll fight for it. You come back here and you just destroy everything! You got a broken woman. You got a weak boy and a play thing girl." 

Shane pointed his gun back at dad's head. "Raise your gun," he told him. "You're going to have to kill an unarmed man," dad said, raising his arms in surrender.  
No, I couldn't just stand back anymore and let my dad be killed by a monster. I stepped out from the treeline, my rifle back on my shoulder as I pulled my handgun out from my hip. I slowly walked up behind them, neither of them realising I'm even here. 

Just as I was getting closer, a twig snapped under my foot, causing Shane to turn around and for dad to look my way, fear filling his eyes as he saw me.

My gun pointed to Shane's head. "Oh look, the little slut's here, no redneck around to protect you anymore," he laughed, his gun now pointed to me. 

I didn't say a word as I got closer, my eyes never leaving Shane. Then it all happened so fast, it was like a blur. 

While Shane was distracted with me, dad pulled his knife out, slamming it into Shane's back, making him scream out in pain, he fell to his knees firing his gun as he did so. I stumbled backwards as the pain in my side shot through me. 

I watched as dad pulled his knife from Shane's back and pushed him to the floor. He pushed his knife into shanes chest as he screamed at him. "Damn you for making me do this, Shane. This was you, not me! You did this to us! This was you, not me-- not me! Not me!" 

I stumbled to my knees as my hand went to myside, I couldn't take my eyes off of what was happening in front of me. Shane was gasping for breath as dad pulled his knife out of him. 

"Not me!" he shouted. He lifted his head and looked at me, the anger in his face quickly replaced with fear as he ran over to me, falling to his knees next to me as he wrapped his arms around me. 

"Kaylee!" He said full of worry, looking at the blood coming from my shirt. 

Shit. 


	13. Chapter 13

"Kay," dad said as he lifted me to my feet. I kept my eyes on Shane's lifeless body laying on the ground. He was dead, Shane was dead, my dad had killed him. 

My brain couldn't comprehend the actions of events that had just happened. He's dead.

"Kaylee," he said again, snapping me out of my thoughts, I turned my face away from Shane, looking up at him. His eyes were bloodshot from crying, his arm still wrapped around my waist keeping me up right. 

He moved his hand over the top of mine where it was holding my side as the blood seeped out. He looked down as I pulled my shirt up, the bullet going through the side of my stomach, and out the back. A centimetre to the right and it would have missed me completely but the other way probably would have killed me. 

"Dad," I said, his head shot up to look at me. "I'm okay," I said, he gave me a small nod not quite believing me. He let go of my waist as he ripped the bottom of his shirt wrapping it around the bullet wound. 

"Let's go back, Hershel can stitch you up," he said. I nodded in return as he wrapped his arm around me again to walk back to the house. 

As we turned around, there stood Carl, his gun in his hand, the look of shock, confusion, and sadness written all over his face. He looked from dad to me, then behind us, to Shanes body. 

"Carl," dad said only loud enough for us both to hear. Dad started walking us closer, his arm still around me as Carl stood in silence. As we got closer, I could hear he was breathing heavy and see the tears rolling down his cheeks. 

"You know- you should be back at the house with mom," he tried to say calmly. Carl quickly raised his gun up, more tears rolling down his cheeks as he cocked his gun. Me and dad immediately stopped in our tracks, whats happening? 

The gun was shaking in Carls hand as he pointed at us. I turned to dad, unsure what to do, unsure what Carl was about to do. 

Dad raised his arm, trying to calm Carl. "Just- just put the- put the gun down," he said through his tears, Carl kept his gun raised, crying even more. "It's not what it seems," he begged him. 

"Please Carl," I begged, jumping in to my father's arms as the gun shot rang out. I buried my head into his chest, the tears rolling down my cheeks, as the fire in my side was worsening. 

I felt dad's tight grip around me as I moved my head up looking at him, he was okay. I looked to Carl the gun still in his hands. I followed his eyes to behind us, at Shane's body which was now closer to us, laying on the floor with a bullet in his skull. He was dead, again.

Carl ran over and he wrapped his arms around me, I wrapped my free arm around him. Dad let go of me and he went over to Shane's body, making sure he was dead. I wrapped my other arm around Carl, holding him as tight as I could. 

I felt another arm wrap around me, I looked up seeing dad, we started walking back to the house. We walked in silence until Carl turned to both of us. "Were you bit, too?" he asked. I shook my head as dad answered "no." 

"Shane was" he said simply, my body tensing. "That wasn't Shane, you know that, " dad replied to him as I said nothing. "Used to be," Carl shrugged, he looked up to him at one point when he'd lost half his family, Shane was there. He didn't know about the things he had done. 

"What happened?" he asked. The flashes of Shane pointing his gun at me, dad stabbing him in the back, the gun shot ringing out as the bullet pierced my skin came back to my mind. My body tensing more as I stopped walking, causing dad and Carl to stop too. Dad turned to Carl, as my eyes darted around, something didn't feel right for the second time tonight. 

My eyes quickly landed on figures moving closer to us in the dark, my eyes widened as they got closer to us. I quickly nudged dad to get his attention as he turned to look too. 

Walkers, a lot of them. Too many for us to take out. My eyes darted from side to side, more walkers appearing. There has to be hundreds, maybe thousands, I don't know? But they're heading straight for us.

"Oh my god," dad whispered, seeing the severity of what's happening. He slightly pushed both Carl and me forward. "Go, go go, go!" he whispered, as we started running back towards the farm. We quickly ducked behind a few trees as we caught our breath, the pain in my side getting worse. 

"We gotta get back to the house," Carl whispered, "Tell the others." Dad was looking around us, the walkers blocking our path to the house. 

"Cant go around," dad said sighing, he looked up to me and then to Carl. "You both stay close okay?" I took my gun out of its holster, getting ready to run, I nod to dad. 

"Go!" We started running in the direction of the barn, walkers trying to block our path, dad pushing them away, saving our ammo. 

We slip inside the barn doors, closing them behind us. The walkers banging on the doors and walls trying to get in. "Come on," dad said, handing me a gas canister, he started pouring the one in his hands over the hay on the floor of the barn. I started to follow suit, emptying the contents on to the floor and wooden walls. 

"Get behind me," Dad shouted, I threw my can to the floor, grabbing Carl's hand, pulling him behind me, and dad towards the ladder. "Oh shit, okay," dad mumbles, as he threw his canister to the floor. He turned to us, pointing to the ladder. 

"Okay, up there," he say handing me his lighter. "What about you?" I said, my voice full of worry. "I'll be right there, " he says looking straight into my eyes. "Drop the lighter when I say" 

"We'll stop some of them from reaching the house, and distract the others," he said, trying to sound calm as possible. "At least we'll have a chance. "

I look down, trying to steady my breathing, dad placed his hand under my chin, lifting my head to look at him. "Hey, look at me," he said calmly. "You can do this." I gave him a nod, unable to speak. 

"I love you." He looks between me and Carl, "both of you, so much." A single tear now running down his cheek. "Now go, go" he hurried us closer to the ladder. I pushed Carl up first, I slowly followed behind him, my head starting to feel a little dizzy. 

Me and Carl watched as dad ran back to the doors and pulled them open, my eyes went wide as dad started shouting, "come on!" 

He was moving backwards as the walkers were now piling into the barn, trying to get their hands on dad, he started to climb the ladder and he continued to shout, "over here!"

"You want some of this?" he continued, to lure them in closer. As he got to the top of the ladder, he looked over to me. 

"Kaylee, now!" I lit the zippo lighter, holding it over the ledge, dropping it into the barn now filled with walkers going up in flames in a matter of seconds. 

The flames started getting bigger as dad pulled me and Carl to the back of the barn towards the window. We stood out on the ledge watching as the herd started getting closer to the house, the sounds of gunfire and cars running were heard in the background. "Hey, here!" dad shouted as he waved the RV over to us. 

The RV pulled up next to us, dad jumped down on to the roof, Carl following him. He reached his arms up for me to take. As I did, the sound of screams could be heard from inside the RV. Dad lifted me onto the roof, we walked over to the ladder on the back as more walkers made their way over to the screams. I cocked my gun and started firing. As dad climbed down the ladder first, I carried on shooting, waiting for Carl to get down. I quickly put my gun back in my holster and climbed down, dad shooting any walkers getting close. 

"This way!" dad shouted, as he pulled me and Carl along, black spots now clouded my vision. "Head for the trees, now, go!" he shouted. 

More walkers were now behind us, one coming straight up next to me. I let go of dads hand and I kicked it back, pulling my gun out and shooting it. 

I turned back to dad and Carl, but they were gone. No!

I looked around trying to find them but more walkers were coming for me, blocking the path to the treeline. I saw an opening towards the house, as I looked up, I see cars starting to leave. 

As I got closer, I could hear shouting muffled by the sound of a motorbike. Daryl.

"Kaylee!" That thick Georgia accent coming through. "Daryl!" I shouted back, trying to make my way to him, but the sounds of his bike got further away. No. 

My head was getting dizzier, as more walkers were blocking my path. I kept shooting until my final bullet rang out and my gun clicked. "Shit!" I swore, using the butt of my gun to hit the walkers with. 

I had to get out of here, I made my path pulling out my knife. I needed to save my rifle bullets. I started to run towards the last car, as it turned out of the driveway. No, I can't get left behind. 

I kept running until I got to the main road, looking behind me to see no walkers. I sighed in relief as my knees went weak and I fell to the ground. The low sound of a motorbike the last thing I heard before letting the darkness take over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! comment and let me know what you think! thank you for kudos and support so far.


	14. Chapter 14

_Daryl's POV_

Glenn and I slowly made our way back to the house, all I could think of was Kaylee. Why did I do that? I should have gone with her, not let her run around the woods at night, going after her old man and that monster. 

I just hoped she was back already, back and she was okay. Why do you care Daryl? 

She's just a stupid girl, who you've pushed away, and for the better, you don't need anyone. 

As we were walking through the door we could hear everyone inside talking. I looked around, not seeing that beautiful face that lit up the room. Shit, she's not here. 

"Rick and Shane not back?" I asked them. "No," Lori answered, on edge probably worried about her husband, Kaylee, and that son of a bitch. 

"Kaylee's not with you?" Maggie asked, as she looked from Glenn to me. Her and Kaylee have gotten closer over the few weeks they've known each other. 

"Na, she went to find her old man" I tutted. Glenn shot me a look before Lori spoke again. "You left her out there on her own?" her voice filled with worry. I didn't know what to say, I shouldn't have left her.

"We heard a shot" I told them, ignoring what Lori had said, praying that the feeling I had in my gut was wrong. "Maybe they found Randell?" Lori asked. "We found him," Glenn told them, looking to me. 

"Is he back in his shed?" Patricia, Hershel's eldest daughter, asked. "He was a walker" I told them, their faces scrunched up in confusion. "Did you find the walker that bit him?" 

"That's the thing, he wasn't bit" Glenn said, "His neck was broken" I told them. "So he fought back?" Patricia guessed. 

"The thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together" I finished telling them, they looked at me and Glenn, even more confused than before. I couldn't just sit here anymore, I had to go find her, even if she did hate me. 

"Can you please go back out there?" Lori asked me, practically begging as she placed her arm on my shoulder. "Find Rick, Shane, and Kaylee, and find out what on earth is going on?" 

"You got it" I nodded to her before stepping back outside. I walked along the porch, Andrea and Glenn right behind me as we looked out on to the farm. My eyes going wide as I saw the herd of walkers making their way closer to the house. My mind started racing but settled on one uneasy thought, where was she? 

Everyone else had made their way out onto the porch, looking to see what exactly was happening. No one said a word as we watched the walkers get closer. I pulled my crossbow off my shoulder, loading it ready. 

"Okay, Patricia, kill the lights" Hershel told her, she nodded back to him, running back inside. "I'll get the guns" Andrea told us as she followed her inside. "Maybe they'll just pass like the herd on the highway?" Glenn guessed. "Should we just go inside?" 

I shook my head, "Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about a herd that size will rip the house down," I told him, looking back out towards them, my mind not leaving the thought that Kaylee was out there. She's okay, she has to be. My hand quickly digging into my jeans pocket, gripping around the cold metal as it came into contact with my hand, sighing I quickly took my hand out again. 

"Carl's gone!" Lori said, frantically as she came back out of the house. "What?!" I asked. 

"He was upstairs, I can't find him anywhere!" She was trying to hold her tears back and keep calm, but her son was now gone. "Maybe he's hiding?" Glenn said, trying not to worry her more. But I knew he wasn't, he was too much like his sister and old man, headstrong and stubborn.

"He's supposed to be upstairs!" she said shooting Glenn down. "I'm not leaving without my kids!"

"We're not, we're gonna- gonna look again and we'll find him" Carol said trying to calm her, she took Lori's hand, guiding her inside to look for Carl again. 

Andrea came back with the bag of guns, she put them on the floor as her and Maggie grabbed some out, Maggie handed a rifle to Glenn while keeping one for herself. He looked at her confused. "Maggie?" 

"You grow up country, you pick up a thing or two," she said, as she loaded her own rifle. 

"Got the numbers," I said. "Its no use," I looked out the herd still getting closer, some were piling around the barn. I heard another rifle being loaded, as I looked over I watched as Hershel loaded his own weapon. He looked up to me, "you can go if you want," he told me. 

"You're gonna take them all on?" I asked, not sure if this was the best plan. "We have guns, we have cars," he said as he cocked his rifle ready to go. "Kill as many as we can," Andrea added. "Then use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm". 

I looked over to Hershel. "You serious?" He looked me dead in the eyes as he readied another gun. "This is my farm, I'll die here" he said as he walked off the porch.

I sighed, "l'right it's a good a night as any". I climbed over the railing dropping down to the grass, and quickly made it over to my bike. Starting it up waiting for the others to jump in and start the cars. 

They all followed me to the field by the barn, the walkers haven't gotten past this fence yet which was good, I couldn't help but look around for any sign of Kaylee but only the dead could be seen and she couldn't be dead. 

I watched as the barn caught on fire, that could have been any of them. Please be her. As I stood up I pulled my handgun out of my waist band and started shooting walkers that go too close, whilst Glenn, Maggie, Andrea, and T-Dog drove in their cars shooting them down along the fence line. I watched as more walkers started getting drawn to the fire, but not enough. More walkers were getting closer to me, I sat back on the bike as the broke the fence down. I drove over to Jimmy in the RV as he's shooting walkers through the window. 

"Yo!" I shouted getting his attention, "Must've been Rick, maybe Shane who started that fire," I pointed over to the barn now engrossed in flames. "Maybe they're trying to get out back," I told him, " why don't you around?" 

"Got it," he shouted back to me. "Go!" I shouted back as more walkers were getting close, my mind went racing back to Kaylee, where was she, before I could stop it I shouted for her. "Kaylee!" but nothing, all I could hear was the moaning and groaning coming from the walkers. I couldn't leave her here. 

"Daryl!" I heard some on shout, I whipped my head around praying to see those sparkling blue eyes, but it wasn't her, it was Carol. She was getting chased by walkers and had no weapons in her hands. I looked over the field one more time, no sign of her, all the other cars had moved off the farm. 

I turned my bike around, riding over to Carol as I shot down the walkers that nearly got her. "Come on!" I shouted to her as she ran over to the bike. She climbed on the back as she wrapped her arms around me, I shot two more walkers that were blocking our way. As I speed off leaving the farm behind, I just hoped she had gotten out already, she had to. 

I carried on speeding down the road, I knew where everyone would meet up. The highway. Where we had left supplies for Sophia when she first went missing. I could hear the sobs from behind me over the loud engine, I moved my hand down over Carols giving it a slight squeeze.

As we were getting closer, I could see the green car up ahead zig-zagging all over the road, I chuckled to myself. Glenn. 

I rode up in front of them signalling for them to follow me, by the time we had made it to the highway, I'd found the blue pick-up holding Lori, Beth and T in it. When I spotted the red van from the farm I slowed the bike down coming to a stop, Carol jumped off immediately as everyone got out of the cars. Rick came over to me and shook my hand, I'm guessing happy to see us alive, damn I was glad he was alive.

I watched as Hershel and his girls reunited and then Lori, Carl and Rick. I slowly got off the bike as I looked around, where was she? 

"Where'd you find everybody?" Rick asked me, "Well, those guys' tail lights zig-zagging all over the road figured he had to be Asian, driving like that". Glenn laughed a little as he looked to me, "thanks".

"Where's the rest of us?" I asked, only caring about one other person, Rick looked to me, his face immediately saddening. "We're the only ones that made it so far," he said.

"Shane?" Lori asked her husband, but he refused to answer, his face hardening at the sound of his once partner's name. "Andrea?" Glenn asked. "She saved me then I lost her," Carol said sadly. "We saw her go down," T added. 

"Patricia?" Hershel asked. "They got her, too," Beth told him. "I was holding onto her," she said through her tears before asking were her boyfriend jimmy was. 

"He was in the RV," Rick told her, "it got overrun".

"Where's Kaylee?" Carl asked, looking around at us all. "Daryl said she was with you?" Lori asked Rick, he nodded. "She was, then we lost her, I- I don't know where she went".

Rick started to cry as did Carl, Lori pulled them both into her embrace. 

My chest was pounding, Kaylee wasn't here. She's not dead, I just know she's not. My heart was now racing the thought of Kaylee being out there on her own again, I couldn't let her be like that again, she needs her family, and I need her, even if she didn't need me.

"I'm going back, " I told the group. "No," Rick said firmly. I was shocked, this was his daughter, and he didn't want me to go back for her? 

"Why not?" I said, my letting my anger fill my voice. "She isn't there" he said bluntly, "she's somewhere else or she's dead, " he said, trying to hold back his tears. He wanted to protect Carl, Lori, and the baby, but I didn't care, she's all I have now. 

"I don't give a damn, " I said bluntly, as I climbed on to the bike, only now seeing Kaylee's bag strapped to it. I started it back up, turning it around, "Daryl, we can't split up, " Rick said. 

I shook my head at him as I drove down the road, off the highway, and back the way to the farm. 

It didn't take long as it was now light out. The closer I got to the farm, the more my chest started pounding more and more. What was I going to find? Her, but not how I wanted to find her? 

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I got closer, seeing the herd of walker's come out of the side road that lead to the farm, my eyes squinted seeing something laying in the road. Wait. I speed up, getting there before the walkers had a chance to. I quickly climbed off the bike, bending down next to the girl laying in the road. Lee! I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, as I pushed a strand of her hair out of her face, it was her. 

Her bright blue eyes opening, and looking up at me. "Dare?" she said in a hushed tone. I nodded as I pulled her up, she winced in pain. I looked down, seeing the blood through her jacket. 

"Come on, I got ya" I said as I put her on the bike, climbing on in front of her. Her arms wrapping around my waist, making me feel less tense, she rested her head on my back as she whispered, " you found me". I started the bike back up, making our way back to the highway. 

I'd found her.


	15. Chapter 15

My arms were still wrapped around Daryl's waist as my head rested on his back, we sped down the highway. 

The actions of last night playing out in my head, Shane trying to kill my dad, my gun pointed at him but I was too scared to shoot him, too scared to pull the trigger and turn into a murderer. I couldn't do it, so my dad did instead. He killed him, not before he got a final piece of me with him.

Daryl started to slow the bike down, and my arms gripped on tighter to his shirt. I didn't want to let go. I felt Daryl's hand drop from the handle bars of his bike onto my hand, giving it a tight squeeze, but he didn't drop it, he kept his hand there the whole way. 

My eyes began getting heavy again, the blood loss getting worse. Daryl stopped the bike in the middle of the highway. There were cars everywhere, just abandoned. 

Daryl dropped his hand from mine standing up, my arms falling to my sides. He turned his head around to look at me, his eyes filled with worry. 

"Hershel!" he shouts, I whip my head up, seeing the white haired man walking towards us, a small smile on my lips. Seeing the rest of the group behind him, but not everybody. 

"Kay!" I heard Carl shout, as he sprinted towards us, Daryl climbed off the bike, I swung my leg around to the side as Carl jumped in my arms clinging to me desperately. I tried to keep the pain in my face hidden. "I'm here, it's okay". He looked up to me, tears in his eyes. "I promised you, I wasn't leaving you again," I said, a small smile on my lips as I kissed his forehead. 

Dad and Lori came up either side, worried looks on both their faces as they looked down at me. I sighed, hugging Carl again as Daryl finally spoke up. "She's lost a lot of blood".

I looked up, seeing he was talking to Hershel, they both looked down at me. Carl let go of me, I looked down at my now blood covered t-shirt and sighed. 

"Come on, let's get you stitched up." Hershel gave me a small smile, I stood up off the bike, feeling dizzy straight away. I swayed on my feet and someone steadied me with their hands. I looked up seeing those beautiful blue eyes staring down at me, the emotion he held inside them wanting to come out. 

All of a sudden, Daryl had picked me up and started carrying me over to where Hershel had gone. He gently put me down in the back of a car, backing away as Hershel quickly took his spot in front of me. "Thank you," I mouthed to him, he gave me a little nod before walking back to his bike. 

Dad, Lori, and Carl had now made their way over to me, I carefully took off my army jacket and pulled my top up enough for Hershel to see the wound. I winced when he poured something on it. "Well you're lucky, Kaylee". He gave me a small smile as he began stitching me up, I'd much rather be doing it myself at this point, but there's really no point in arguing with them. "The bullet was a through and through, she'll be just fine after some rest, " Hershel told my dad and Lori, like I wasn't even there.

I pulled my top back down and my jacket back on, waiting to be told on what the plan was. 

"We can't stay here" Dad told the group. "It's too dangerous, there's walkers crawling all over the place".

"I say we head east," T-dog suggests. "Stay off the main roads," Daryl adds as he walks back to his bike, getting his crossbow off it. "The bigger the roads, the more walkers, more arseholes like this one," he said, loading his crossbow and firing it straight at the walker who was slowly making its way to us. Everyone looked to my dad, waiting for approval, I guess? He gave them all a nod and everyone started to climb into the cars we were taking. Daryl had his eyes focused on me as I looked up at him. He moved his head in away telling me to come on, and he climbed onto his bike.

I started to make my way over to Daryl's bike, as a hand grabbed my arm. I swung around seeing it was Lori, I looked up at her confused. "You're coming with your father and me, we're not splitting up again," she told me. I shook my head at her, "I'm not, I'm going with Daryl. It's not splitting up either. It's fine," I told her. As I went to start walking away again, her grip on my arm got tighter. "Lori, let go of me, now," I said sternly, she knows full well not to hold onto me like she is, but here she is doing it."I said you're coming with us. I've already told you to stay away, but you didn't listen, now look," she said, trying to pull me in the direction of the car that dad and Carl were already in and waiting for us. 

She was pushing it now, I pulled my arm back from her grasp. Anger now fully all over my face. "I told you, I'm going with Daryl and that's it. At this point, Lori, I don't care what you say! He's been there more than any of you have!" She looked at me shocked and confused. I turned around and walked over to Daryl's bike. He was already sitting and waiting for me. He was giving me a look that i quickly translated to 'you okay?'. I gave him a small nod before carefully climbing onto the back of his bike. I watched as everyone slowly got into their cars and we slowly started making our way off the highway.   
•••  
We had been driving for a few hours now, not seeing much, but walkers and more walkers. Thats when someone started honking their horn, i tapped Daryl on his shoulder, and he gave me a nod in understanding, he slowed the bike down, then stopping it. I stood up and got off, Daryl following suit. Everyone else was slowly getting out of the two cars we had chosen to take with us. 

"You out?" Daryl asked my dad as he was walking towards us. "Running on fumes," he told us. 

"We can't stay here," Maggie said. "We can't all fit in the same car," Glenn said. I just sighed listening to everyones opinions, it felt like i wasn't even here. It's like my head is stuck in the memory of last night. Ive sunk into the black pit before, i didnt want to do it again, I can't let myself do that again. 

Dad's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "We'll have to make a run for gas in the morning," he told the group. "Spend the night here?" Carol asked. 

"I'm freezing," Carl shivered. I pulled him into me to keep him warm. Dad took off his jacket, passing it to me. I quickly wrapped it around Carl's cold body. "We'll build a fire, " i told them.

"You go out looking for firewood, stay close. Only got so many arrows. How you doing on ammo?" Daryl asked, looking to me and dad. "Not enough," dad told him as I just shook my head. I only had so many bullets in my rifle, my hand gun ran out of bullets last night. I had my knife too, but it didnt seem like much. 

"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out," Maggie said to the group with a sigh. "Watch your mouth. Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick," Hershel said, trying to keep everyone calm. "All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. - We'll keep pushing on," he told us all. 

"Glenn and I can go make a run now... try and scrounge up some gas.?" Maggie suggested. "No, we stay together. God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car"

"Rick, we're stranded now," Glenn says in defeat. Nobody knew what to do. "I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other," he told us all, looking at everyone one of us, I looked around the group of people I'm with. My family, new family, new friends.

"I wasn't sure, I really wasn't, but we did it. We're together. We keep it that way. We'll find shelter somewhere, there's got to be a place". Slowly people nodded their heads, agreeing with him. 

"We'll make camp tonight over there, " he said pointing over to what looked like ruins of some kind. "We'll get back on the road at break of day," he told us all. I sighed, leaning my body against Daryl's bike. "Does this feel right to you?" Carol asked Daryl. "What if another group comes through like Randell's?" Beth asked my dad, obviously' worried. 

"You know we found Randell, right?" Daryl told my dad. "He turned, but he wasn't bit," he carried on. Dad just looked away, he knew something, i could see the look in his eyes. 

"How's that possible?" I asked him, to which he ignored. "Rick, what the hell happened?" Lori asked him. 

"Shane killed Randell," Daryl told the group, I turned to look at him, my body tensing at just the sound of his name. "Just like he always wanted to," Daryl continued, knowing he was right.

"Then the herd got him?" Lori asked, she was so concerned for him, it made me feel sick, my eyes began to get blurry from the unshed tears building up in them. I took a deep breath, just trying to hold it together. 

Dad closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath. He opened them again looking around at all of us then down to the ground. "We're all infected." I felt my eyes begin to widen, looking around everyone else, the look of shock and confusion plastered on their faces. 

I looked to Daryl as he looked to me, then back to my dad. "What?" he asked. 

"At the CDC, Jenner told me." I looked around more confused, but everyone else didn't seem to be. I sort of remember Carl telling me they went to the CDC for a night to get answers but I didn't think this was it. "Whatever it is, we all carry it," he finished before walking away, Lori following closely behind him.  
•••  
It had been a few hours since we found out that were all infected, the group was quiet as they sat around the fire that had been built, T-dog was up on the wall on watch. I was sat away from Lori and my dad, and next to Daryl and Glenn. 

It was quiet. The only sounds coming from the crackling of the fire, then Carol spoke up. "We're not safe with him, " she whispered to Daryl, causing me to turn my head to look at her. How is she saying this after everything that's happened. "Keeping something like that from us," she continued. "Why do you need him? He's just going to pull you down."

My blood was starting to boil, all my dad had done was keep this group safe and alive and this is how he gets treated?

"No, " Daryl said, I turned my face to look at him. "Rick's done alright by me," he tells her, a little smile pulling on my lips. "You're his henchman, " she told Daryl, causing me to roll my eyes. "And I'm a burden, you deserve better. " 

Daryl sighed, as he asked her. "What do you want?" 

"A man of honour," she says simply, causing me to scoff. "Rick has honour," Daryl told her. 

Just then came rustling noises coming from the woods, everyone jumped at the sound. "What was that?" Beth asked. "Could be anything," Daryl said as he stood up, taking his crossbow off his back. "Could be a raccoon, could be a possum."

"Walker" Glenn says. "We need to leave. I mean what are we waiting for?" Carol says "Which way?" Glenn asked. "It came from over there," I told him. "Back from where we came?" Maggie asked. "Yeah."

"The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark. We don't have the vehicles. No one's traveling on foot," Dad told everyone.

"Don't panic," Hershel told his daughters. "I'm not, I'm not sitting here waiting for another herd to blow through, we need to move now, " Maggie said, panic and fear in her voice.

"No one is going anywhere," Dad said. "Do something," Carol said, the tone of her voice getting bitter as she spoke to him. 

"I am doing something! I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake!" My heart dropped in that moment, Shane's lifeless body laying on the ground covered in blood, the way he laid there gasping for air to fill his lung as the his life was ripped away from him. I could feel my own breathing start to get heavy and my hands going clammy as they gripped my rifle. Everyone had the look of shock on their faces. Carl buried his head into his mothers chest as he started to sob. 

"You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us. He attacked my daughter, wanted to rape her! He staged the whole Randell thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice. He was my friend, but he came after me, after my daughter. My hands are clean. Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead." Everyone turned to me as dad told them what Shane had done, my heart was beating faster and faster, I couldn't catch my breath. Everyone knows, everyone knows what he did. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder which caused me to nearly jump out of my skin, I turn to see it was Daryl, crossbow in hand.

"Come on" he whispered, knowing I couldn't be around them anymore. I stood up and followed Daryl into the woods following the small light coming from Daryl's torch.   
We stopped after walking for a while, I looked up seeing the cloudless night sky, not a star in sight. I sighed, not being able to do the one thing I needed at a time like this.

Daryl turned to look at me at the sound of me sighing. "Ya l'right?" he asked, I just nodded. "Did your old man really, uh...?" he asked unsure whether to say his name or not. I looked up at him and nodded "I had my gun pointed at him ready to do it, ready to shoot him but-" Daryl cut me off. "You couldn't do it,." I shook my head, looking back down at my feet. 

"It's okay, " he said softly, stepping closer to me, my heart started beating faster again, but not out of fear this time. "You're not a killer, you help people," he said simply and I just nodded again. 

He quickly grabbed my hand, holding it out and under his other hand that was closed into a fist. I looked up at him confused, until I felt something cold hit my hand looked back down at my hand seeing Daryl had put a silver necklace on it. I picked it up looking at the small pendant in the shape of a constellation.

"Happy birthday Lee" I looked back at Daryl shocked and slightly confused. He had a smile on his face which made him more beautiful. "How di-" I went to ask but cut myself off. "Carl," he nodded causing me to laugh a little. 

"Now you'll always have a piece of your grandpa with you, and you can always look at the stars." I smiled at him, he remembered how important the stars are to me.   
"thank you Dar," I smiled I held it up to him. "Could you?" I asked. He gave a slight nod so I turned around. 

I pulled my hair to one side exposing my neck, I felt Daryl's fingers brush against my skin as he put the neckless on for me, causing Goosebumps all over my body and a shiver down my spine. 

I looked down at my neckless, smiling, not being able to stop. I turned back to Daryl, a small smile on his lips too, we were standing so close to each other I could feel his breath on my skin. I looked into his beautiful ocean blue eyes, easily getting lost in them. 

"Kay," we heard someone call as we both broke out of the little trance we were both in. Daryl cleared his throat before stepping back from me. "We should go back."   
"Yeah, probably," I said, following Daryl back to the camp. 

Were we about to? No, there's no way Daryl would kiss me. If he was, it was probably just out of pity right? I sigh, sitting down next to my things. 

We have no safe place to sleep now, Lori's pregnant, we've lost the farm, everyone's losing faith in dad. we have no food or water. But for some reason, Daryl being here next to me makes things seem a little easier. He makes me feel safe.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW; talks about past sexual assault.

It's been six months, six months on the road without a stable roof over our heads. We'd all some how survived the harsh winter, but we were all here. Lori's now at the end stage of her pregnancy, Hershel had been teaching me the steps of a C-section, she had one with Carl so she would probably need one with this baby.

Dad was barely speaking to Lori anymore after everything that happened, he couldn't seem to face her. I would only speak to her when it was deemed necessary and that wasn't often. Carl had grown taller as he now nearly towered over me, he isn't the once little boy I used to know. He's had to grow up too fast, but he's adapted better than the rest of us. He had become a brilliant shot, Lori didn't like it but she knew better that he was safer trained and armed with a gun than he was without it.

The group had become closer, once again putting their trust in dad to lead them, to keep them safe and he was doing his best to do that.

There seemed to be more walkers every day, its like they're spreading out of the cities now and hoarding up. Guess they ran out of food there.

In the months that Daryl had given me my necklace, we were getting closer. He had been teaching me how to hunt, much to Lori's dismay that is. She still wasn't happy with me being around Daryl, for some reason she didn't trust him. While we went out hunting we would begin talking about our lives and life before the end of the world. Daryl told me about his brother Merle and how my dad handcuffed him to the roof back in Atlanta, causing him to cut his own hand off. He told me about when his mom died when he was younger and how it was just him and his 'old man' after Merle went to juvie. He didn't need to tell me where his scars on his back came from, I knew, and he knew I did too. We didn't need to talk about it.

I told him more about my life too, about my grandpa, how much I missed him. I told him about how I moved to New York after pre-med to start med school and my dream of becoming a surgeon. Daryl would say that he could see me as a surgeon, in my scrubs, causing us both to break out into a fit of laughter. He'd asked about my mom but I would quickly change the subject, he didn't need to know about her. I didn't want him to, I didn't want him to look at me differently if he found out.

In the nights that lead after we had left the farm, sleep wasn't something I saw for a while. The nightmares becoming worse when I finally got the much needed sleep. Daryl would shake me awake, tears streaming down my cheeks, out of breath and gasping for air.

After a month of nightmares, I had woken up in the middle of the night with Daryl's arms wrapped around my body trying to calm me down, as I gasped for air, my arms and legs thrashing around feeling the need to protect myself. He whispered in my ear telling me I was safe as he kept me in his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. The steady beat of his heart calming me. He kept me in his strong arms as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep for the first time in what felt like forever.

Since that night, I had continued to sleep in Daryl's arms and slowly the nightmares went away. I started to feel safer as I slept again, the fear to close my eyes no longer there, feeling protected in Daryl's arms.  
•••  
It was now mid-afternoon in April, as we all approached a small house. It was quiet, nothing to be heard. I pulled my gun out of it holder, holding it up ready. I looked up at Daryl, his crossbow ready. He was already looking down at me, he gave me a little nod before turning and facing my dad, who had his gun out ready. He kicked the front door of the house down, before moving forward with T-Dog, he fired one shot into a walkers head as T took out the second one.

Daryl followed in after them taking the right side of the house. Carl and I followed in, he looked up to me as I pointed in the direction I was going. He nodded before he moved forward in a different direction, following close behind dad, his gun held high with his silencer attached to it.

I turned to my left and searched the rooms I was in, making sure there weren't any unwanted dead guests. Seeing nothing, I carried on moving further into the house, seeing a small door at the end of the hallway, I slowly moved closer to it. Reaching my hand out, slowly turning the door handle before pulling the door open, I jumped as I came face to face with a crossbow. I lowered my gun as Daryl lowered the crossbow, he gave me a little smirk, keeping his torch shining on my face, I just shook my head at him.

Daryl turned around going back the way he came towards the staircase, his crossbow high and ready again. I pulled my gun back up, following behind him. We started making our way up, Daryl staying in front of me, and T closely behind. Once we reached the top, we split up searching the rooms and making sure they were clear. 

When we were sure we headed back downstairs, joining dad and Carl."All clear" I told him, T went to the door, letting out a low whistle, signalling it was safe for the others to come in. As Hershel, Beth, Carol and Lori brought their things into the house, I helped Maggie and Glenn move the walker bodies out of the house, the smell of their bodies already starting to linger.

We were all sat around in what seemed to be the living room, I leaned against the window sill, watching Daryl pluck an owl he'd shot while looking around, it was kind of disgusting to watch but I couldn't keep my eyes off of him.

I jumped at the sound of a can being thrown across the room. I looked up to see dad standing in front of everyone picking up the other can that Carl had found. It looked like it was dog food. Just the thought made me and want to be sick.

Everyone was silent, they all looked around at each other, unsure if this was dad cracking again. They all looked exhausted and drained. I looked down at my own hands in my lap. They were covered in dirt, all I wanted was a warm shower and feel clean again.

"Psst" T-Dog got our attention nodding his head out the window, I sighed, knowing what he meant. There were walkers, and they were coming this way. Everyone stood up once again, grabbing their bags and making their way towards the back door.

If we came across more than a dozen Walkers then we would leave, not wanting to waste our ammo or for anyone to get hurt. We couldn't afford to lose anyone else. We were one big family now, we didn't want to lose anyone else.

I followed everyone out as they put their bags into their cars, I followed Daryl to his bike. He handed me his crossbow and I slung it over my shoulder. As he got on the bike and I quickly got on behind him, making sure I had a secure hold on his crossbow and my rifle, I wrapped my arms around Daryl's waist signalling I was ready to go. We had gotten used to our routine of me riding with him, and the rest of the group had gotten used to it by now.

I kept a steady grip around Daryl as he followed the others, we soon came to a stop in the middle of the road. Everyone quickly got out of their cars and I had climbed off the back of the bike before Daryl followed me. I gave him his crossbow before walking over to the front of one of the cars. Maggie, T, and Glenn were all looking over the map to see where we could go from here. But by looks of all the red that was scribbled all over the thing, there wasn't much else we could go.

"We got no place left to go," T-Dog told dad as he made his way over to us.

"When this herd meets up with this one we'll be cut off, we'll never make it south" Maggie says, pointing to the map. Over the last months we had been keeping track of big herds that were forming and which direction they we're headed, it made sure we could stay ahead of them and not get caught up in something we can't get out of, not again.

"What'd you say? That was about 150 head?" Daryl asks Glenn as he made his way over to us.

"That was last week," Glenn said. "Could be twice that by now," I said looking up at everyone.

"This river could have delayed them. If we move fast, we might have a shot to tear right through there," Hershel suggested. "Yeah, but if this group joins with that one, they could spill out this way," T pointed out. "So we're blocked," I said sighing, we really needed to find somewhere safe. "Only thing to do is double back at 27 and swing towards Greenville," Dad told us all. 

"Yeah, we picked through that already. It's like we spent the winter going in circles." We really had been going in one big circle. "Yeah, I know. I know. At Newnan we'll push west. Haven't been through there yet. We can't keep going house to house. Need to find someplace to hole up for a few weeks," Dad said, his eyes moving up towards one of the cars. I turned, seeing Lori sitting the front seat, dad may not be speaking to her but he still cares.

Everyone nodded before making their way from the front of the car. "Is it cool if we hit the creek before we head out?" T asked my dad. "Won't take long, we got to fill up our water, we can boil it later."

"Knock yourself out." Dad gave him a half smile. He's hurting, I can see it in his face. I just don't know how to help him.

I was brought out of my thought by a tap on my shoulder, spinning round I came face to face with that handsome redneck with beautiful blue eyes. "What's up?" I asked, not being able to take the smile of my face as I looked at him.

"While the others are washing their panties, lets go hunt," he said, as he readied his crossbow. I nodded before following him into the woods.

As walking through the trees, we were both quiet, listening out for anything that might come our way, after half an hour I stopped. "Doesn't look like we're going to get anything Dar," I told him. He looked around the trees in front of us before turning around.

"Yeah, lets go." He carried on walking back the way we came, I slowly followed him.

"Ya had another nightmare last night," Daryl said, looking at me as we both came to a stop. I quickly turned my head to look away from him, he had gotten really good at reading me and it didn't help me at times like this.

"Lee come on," he sighed. "Was it about your ma again?" he asked.

"Daryl, don't."

"Seriously Kaylee, this 'aint healthy anymore."

"No, just stop. You don't need to tell me what is and isn't healthy for me, Daryl. I don't want to talk about it and that's it, so just drop it"  
I pushed past him, not wanting to talk about it. Why cant he just drop it and forget about it?

I was pulled to a stop again as Daryl grabbed my arm pulling me back to him. "I'm not dropping it, " he said.

I pulled my arm out of his grip. "Then just don't speak to me Daryl, I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight. That way you don't have to deal with them either," I said bitterly, as I started to walk away. What the hell are you doing Kaylee? He's only trying to help you. Go back, you stupid girl.

"This shit is eating you alive Lee, and that shit will get you killed in a world like this," he called after me.

He was right, it would get me killed sooner or later. I stopped in my tracks, quickly wiping the tears away from my eyes, not quiet believing what I was seeing.

"Dar!" I called to him. "What?!" he grunted. I clearly pissed him off. Can you blame him though, Kaylee?

"Just come here and look would you?" I sighed, pointing past the trees. Daryl made his way over and followed my line of sight before sighing.

"That's a shame," he said before starting to walk away again, I quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Dar, this could work," I smiled at him, but he just looked at me like I had two heads.

I turned again, before my eyes set on a prison I use my scope on my rifle to get a better look. It was fenced all the way around, with guard towers and brick walls. Never thought I'd be so happy about seeing brick walls, let alone a prison.

"The walkers inside the fences all have prison jumpsuits on, and the fence looks intact. We have to try," I say, looking to him once more.  
He gave one more look to the prison before turning to me and nodding. The smile on my face getting bigger as we made our way back to the group and tell them what we'd found.

Dad agreed with me that it was worth the risk, we needed this now more than ever. We slowly made our way to the prison's outer fences. Dad quickly using the bolt cutters to cut a hole in the fence big enough for us to slide in.

We slowly one by one climbed through the hole before Glenn and Daryl quickly tied it back together.

The walkers from the yard started making their way towards the noise, but luckily they were blocked off with another fence.

We started making our way towards the main gate next to one of the guard towers. Once at the gate, we see an overturned bus blocking the gate from opening.

"Its perfect," Dad smiled at me. This was it, this is what we needed. Every one of us.

"If we can shut that gate," he said pointing to the gate at the top of the yard that led to the court yard, "we can prevent anymore from filling the yard. We can pick off all these walkers, we'll take the field by tonight," he tells us.

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asks.

"I'll do it, you guys cover me, " Glenn volunteers. "No, its a suicide run," Maggie says, not wanting Glenn to do it.

I looked up and my eyes landed on Daryl, who was already looking at me. He shook his head, already knowing what I was going to do.

"I'm the fastest, " Glenn said, trying to convince Maggie. "No. You, Maggie, and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Pop 'em through the fence," Dad told him. 

"I'll go," I said. Daryls eyes quickly went into a glare before turning away from me. "We all know I'm faster, sorry Glenn," I chuckled.

"No, Kay," dad said sternly.

"Come on dad, it's simple. Run and close the gate," I smiled widely. "Oh, and also try not to get eaten while doing it."

"Kay," Dad groaned. "Okay I'm sorry, I'm sorry, " I said, trying to hold back my laughter. "I'll be fine dad, I've got this. " 

"Daryl, go back to the other guard tower " he told him, Daryl gave me one last glare before taking off to his guard tower. I really needed to talk to him after my suicide run. I needed Daryl in my life more now than ever. I loved him, but he couldn't love someone like me, not now. Lori already hates that I'm always with him, and he's like dad's right hand. One of the only people my dad turns to and trusts. 

But you love him Kaylee, I sigh. But I can't love him and he can't love me. 

Dad's voice brought me out of my thought and back to what's happening. Right, walkers. 

"Hershel, you and Carl take this tower." He pointed to the tower next to us. "Kaylee, you're running for the gate." 

I smiled and walked towards the front of the gate. I pulled my hand gun out, checking my ammo, making sure I was good. We were running low on ammo so I needed to be careful. 

I kneeled down making sure my shoelace were tied tight, the last thing I needed to get me killed is my shoelaces coming undone. Standing back up straight, dad placed his hand on both my shoulders. 

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked. He knew I was going to no matter what, but he had to ask. 

"I'm sure," I smiled. "You've all got my back, right?" He nodded. "See, I'll be okay, then." He gave me a small smile, still unsure if he wanted to let me do this, but I was sure. He pulled me into his arms, holding onto me. I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Just be careful, please," he whispered into my ear. 

I pulled back from him, pulling one of my arms away, and holding my pinkie out to him, causing him to chuckle. We did this all the time when I was younger, whenever I had to leave my dads and go back to my moms he'd always pinkie promise me that I'd see him again. "Promise," I smiled. He wrapped his pinkie around mine. "Promise," he repeated. 

We pulled apart, I turned to face the gate, ready. Walkers in the field had made their way over to the gate, the sounds of growling and moans was all I could hear. And you volunteered to go in there? Yeah, crazy. 

The others, spread across the fence, had started banging on and screaming, trying to distract the walkers, so I could get in carefully. "Ready?" dad asked me, handing me the clips to close the gate. I clipped it to my belt so I didn't drop it. 

I gave him a nod, my heart was now racing. Not like it did when I was in Daryl's arms, or when he calls me Lee. No, this is more 'scared shitless' heart racing, but I couldn't back out now. God, please don't let me die. 

Dad pulled the gate open just enough for me to squeeze through. Okay, you've got this, Kaylee. I kept my gun held high as I slowly made my way around the bus, using it for cover if I need to. 

I look up and see the gate I needed to close. Okay, not so bad. what's that, like 100 meters less? Just dead people that eat you in my way. I sigh, why do I always think like this?

Get your head in the game, Kaylee. 

I started making my way up the hill, towards the gate. Some Walkers were getting closer to me, but most were headed over to where everyone was shouting. 

Keeping my gun raised, shooting the walkers that were too close for my liking. I turned, hearing growling getting closer, quickly shooting before it got to close. 

As I turned back to carry on running, I came face to face with a walker. I stepped backwards, falling over the walker I just killed, dropping my gun in the process. Shit! The other walker falling on top of me as I let out a high pitch scream, holding the walker away from my body as it kept trying to bite. The sound of its teeth slamming against each other going straight threw me. 

The walker quickly went limp, I sighed in relief, pushing the walker off of me, before pulling myself up. I picked my gun up and pulled the bolt out of the walkers head. I looked up to Daryl, giving him a slight nod. Always saving my ass, that's for sure.

I quickly shook my head, not the time Kaylee. As I started to carry on running, I quickly jumped back from a bullet being fired into the ground next to my foot. I looked up seeing where it had come from, only to hear Carol shout down to me, "sorry!" I gave her an unimpressed look before carrying on. 

I finally made it to the gate, as more walkers started to spill out from the courtyard into the field. I fired my gun shooting them before my gun clicked. "Shit!" 

I grabbed the gate, pulling it as a walker came through trying to grab me. I quickly twisted the bolt in my hand before plunging it into the walkers brain, kicking him in the chest. As I pulled the bolt out and closing the gate fully using the clips to make sure it held. 

I made my way into the guard tower next to me, climbing the stairs to the top. "Light 'em up!" I shouted, as I pulled my rifle off my shoulder, everyone started shooting all the walkers that were left in the field. After they were all dead again, I made my way down to meet the others. 

"We haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" Carol shouted, as she looked over the open space. Everyone had smiles on their faces, even Daryl. 

"Woooo!" T-dog cheered, as everyone laughed. This, this is what we needed.

•••

It was now dark out, as night fell on us. Everyone was sat around a small fire, well nearly everyone. Dad was walking around the perimeter checking for any holes or breaks in the fence. We wanted to be safe, but this was his fourth time around, if there was something wrong he would have found it by now. 

Daryl wasn't here either, he was sat up in one of the guard towers keeping watch. We hadn't spoken since we argued, which was stupid if you asked me. 

We'd cleared the walkers to one side for now, ready to burn tomorrow. We'd brought our vehicles in, ready to move in tomorrow I guess? 

I looked up to the guard tower , only being able to see the side of Daryl's head as he was on the other side of the tower. I sighed, I don't know what to do. He's right about what he said and I needed to make things better. 

"We wanna keep them bodies away from that water," T-Dog said, as we all sat around the fire, eating.

"Now if we can dig a canal under the fence, we'll have plenty of fresh water," he smiled. "And the soil is good," Hershel added. "We could plant some seeds, grow tomatoes, soybeans," he smiled. This place was going to be good, we could really make it into something. 

"This will be a good place to have the baby," Beth said to Lori. She was right, it was better than being on the road. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me jump and turn around, seeing a smiling Carol. She sits down next to me with another plate of food. "You did good finding this place, Kaylee," she gave me a small smile. "You should go talk to him," she whispered, as my head whipped around to face her. "Neither of you will feel better if you don't go talk to him, he's too stubborn, you know that" 

She handed me the plate, I stood up making my way over to the guard tower. I opened the door slowly, before taking a deep breath and making my way up the stairs. When I reached the top, I could see Daryl leaning over the railing, looking out. 

"I brought you something to eat," he turned at the sound of my voice, anger still written on his face. "Ta," he said, before taking the plate from me and placing on the ground before turning back to look out the surrounding areas. 

I sighed before sitting down, hanging my legs off the side, swinging them slightly. The stars shining brightly tonight, the clear sky making it easier for me to think. 

"You were right," I said, quietly not even sure if he heard me. "What?" Well, I guess he did, then. 

"I said you were right, about earlier," I sighed again. "About holding everything in and it slowly killing me. You were right." 

"I shouldn't have pushed you, Lee," he sighed himself, turning to face me again, leaning his back against the railing. 

"No, you were right to push," I said, before taking a deep breath. I wanted to do this, I needed to. And I trusted Daryl with my life. 

"When I was 12 and finally free, I made a promise to myself. I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone else, I didn't want to talk about it or face it in anyway. So I didn't, I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone, not even when I was older with a family of my own. It was my secret, I didn't want anyone to look at me differently, like I was disgusting or something," I sighed. 

"But you were right its killing me, I didn't really factor in the end of the world into this, and I coped well before, but I'm not coping now, so I'm breaking that promise." 

Daryl stood silently, watching me and listening. I couldn't bare to face him so I kept my eyes on the calming dark sky.

"My parents had me when they were 16 and 17, they stayed together till I was two, and then they broke up, they shared custody of me. And then when I was 3, my mom met James." I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it wouldn't go away. His name hasn't left my lips since I was 12.

"I remember him being really sweet and kind to us, my dad got on with him really well. Then they got married, and it all went downhill from there." 

"I started seeing less of my dad, and all I could remember was that I missed him, and I wanted to be with my daddy," I sniffed. "This one day, my mom started screaming at me at me. I'd never seen her so mad before, I'd done something wrong, she said. I don't even remember what it was or if it was my fault but it was to her. I remember her screaming and feeling scared. She raised her hand and went to hit me so I closed my eyes really tight and just hoped she'd disappear."

"I never felt her hit me, so I opened my eyes and there was James with his hand wrapped around her arm stopping her. I was so happy that he protected me in that moment." I felt a tear stray down my cheek as I took in a shaky breath. I needed to just get it out.

"He let go of her, and told her he would deal with it, he grabbed me by my hair and dragged me out of the house. My mom didn't see it but she heard it, I was four. "

Daryl was still quiet as he listened to me intently, knowing I had to just get it all out now or I wouldn't at all. 

"After that day, he would hit me when ever I did something. My mom would scream and he would drag me out the house. I tried my best not to do anything wrong, I was just a little kid."

"My dad took them to court to get full custody of me, but they gave it to my mom and James. I wanted to tell my dad what was happening, I was just too scared to." I wiped more tears that fell down my cheeks. 

"When I turned ten, a teacher saw one of the bruises on my arm. She kept asking me who did it, but I just sat there, not saying a word to her. She called my mom in and asked her and she told her it was my dad that had done it and they were 'on top of it', so she took me home. I was so scared, I didn't want to have to face another beating. But that didn't happen, the whole house was quiet the whole night, they told me to go to bed so I did. I thought maybe they loved me again and didn't want to hurt me no more." The tears were in full force now, there was no stopping them. 

"But I was wrong, that night it was so dark in my room I remember them both coming in, my mom stayed glued to the wall and James came over to me." I sucked in my breath, as I closed my eyes. it's okay, Kaylee, you've got this. 

"Lee you don-" I stopped him " I need to." 

"He came over to me and climbed on top of me. He put his hand over my mouth and his arm over my throat. He told me if I screamed, he would kill me, and I believed him. So I didn't, I stayed quiet. My mom, she just stood there, telling me it was my fault this was happening." Daryl now standing straight up, his whole body tense.

"Aft-after he'd finished, he laid next to me smoking a cigarette. When he was done, he'd put the stub out on my back, he did it every time" 

"When I was 12, I finally got the courage to tell my dad and Lori. They'd not long had Carl. My dad and Sh-" I stopped myself, taking a deep breath. "My dad and Shane went over and arrested them both and he got custody of me and I was with my family." 

"When what happened with Shane happened, it brought it all back up. I'd worked really hard over the last eight- nine years to move passed it, and there it all was again, and I didn't want to deal with that. I didn't want you to look at me differently, or pity me I just wanted to move passed it." 

"I don't pity ya," he said I turned to look up at him. " I know you don't. Just... thank you for listening," I gave a small smile. Daryl knew I just needed to get it out there so I could move forward, we didn't need to discuss it. I didn't need his pity, just his support, and that's what he was giving me by just listening.

We sat for what felt like hours in a comfortable silence before Daryl spoke up again. "Why'd you do the run?" he asked. I sighed, knowing he was angry at me but I just couldn't argue, not now. 

"Because I had to," I said, standing back up. He gave me a 'seriously?' look and I sighed again. "I did it because I'm the fastest and could get it done." 

"You could have got yourself hurt Lee, or I don't know, died" he said, his voice becoming more raised. "But I didn't and I'm fine, Daryl." I could feel my anger start to boil up inside of me. I turned my back on him before starting to walk away, apparently not quick enough as he grabs my arm spinning me to face him again. 

"What?!" I asked, now I'm pissed. I've just let Daryl in on my biggest life secrets and now he wanted to argue.

"If I didn't shoot that walker, you'd be dead right now." 

"But I'm not, because you didn't let it happen," I sighed. "Daryl, just drop it." I could feel myself about to flip on Daryl and that's the last thing I wanted to do, but he isn't exactly helping right now. 

"I'll drop it when you stop putting yourself in danger!" he spat. 

"Why do you even care, Daryl?!" I spat back. "Why do you even give a shit what I do?" I asked again, as he said nothing. "Yeah, that's what I thought," I sighed, turning around and walking away again, only to be pulled back by Daryl, again. What the...? 

As he pulled me back by my arm, his other hand went around my neck pulling me closer to him, before his lips smashed into mine. He's kissing me? Wait, he's kissing you, Kaylee! His lips were soft as he kissed me with such a force of love and passion. My head was swimming, as my heart was beating a million miles an hour. He let go of my wrist, cupping my cheek before slowly pulling away from me, resting his forehead against mine, his sparking blue eyes staring down at me.

Daryl Dixon kissed me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard for me to write, a lot of my own trauma is the same to Kaylee's. I hope you all liked it, comment leave a kudos let me know!


	17. Chapter 17

Everyone was sat around the small fire listening to Beth sing, she had a beautiful voice. I diverted my eyes, watching dad as he finally made his way back to the group. He had walked around the fence line at least five times all together. We were safe here. Well, apart from dozens of walkers on the other side of that fence.

Dad crouched down in between Carl and Lori, she was rubbing her bump as she kept her eyes on him. 

Daryl sat to my left watching the fire burn in front of us. After he kissed me, he didn't say anything, he ran his hand down my cheek before taking my hand and pulling me into the guard tower and back down to solid ground. My mind was still on over drive, the feeling of his lips still on mine, the way he held me close to him. My heart began to race, the way his ocean blue eyes looked down at me, like I was the only thing that mattered anymore. The words he didn't have to say out loud as he rested his forehead against mine. 

But you didn't kiss him back, why didn't I kiss him back?

It was a pity kiss, the only reason he kissed me was because he felt sorry for me. He didn't like me, not the way I liked him. I sighed before dropping my head into my hands, too many mixed thoughts running through my brain as they consumed me. 

I was brought out of my thoughts as I felt a nudge my shoulder, I turned to face a fully concerned Daryl. "Ya 'lright?" he asked quietly, I gave him a small smile that I'm sure didn't reach my eyes and nodded. 

I turned back towards the group as dad started to talk to everyone. 

"Better all turn in, I'll take watch over there," he told us, nodding toward the over-turned bus. "We've got a big day tomorrow" the others looked at him, confused. "What'd you mean?" Glenn asks him. I knew what he wanted to do, its what I would do to. 

"Look, I know we're all exhausted. This was a great win." He smiled, it was nice to see him start to do that again. "But we've got to push just a little bit more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners." He told them, confirming what I saw earlier. "Looks like this place fell pretty early. It could mean the supplies may be intact. They'd have an infirmary, a commissary." 

"An armoury?" Daryl asked, "That would be outside the prison itself, but not to far away" 

"Yeah, the Warden's offices would have all the information on the location," I told them, dad looked up giving me a small nod as he continued to smile. This was a good plan, we needed this, we all did. 

"Weapons, food, medicine, this place could be a gold mine," he told them, hoping it convinced them to do it. "We're dangerously low on ammo," Hershel said, his voice full of concern. "We'd run out before we'd make a dent." He was right, we were too low on ammo to use it all on clearing walkers. That just meant going in, and by the look on dads face, that's what we were doing. 

"That's why we have to go in there, hand to hand," he told him, everyone looked a bit sceptical but I trusted my dad, we need this reward. Daryl looked towards me, I know he wouldn't like me going in and doing this but he also knew he couldn't stop me.

Dad sighed before he continued "after all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it." He looked down to carl. "These assholes don't stand a chance." Carl let out a small laugh, I missed his laugh. 

Dad got up, walking away. Lori got up and walked after him, finally going to speak to him. I watched as dad's face fell and his eyebrows moving closer together. Lori had her back to me, as she stood in front of him but I could still see the anger building up in his face. He started to back away before fully turning around and walking away from her. 

I grabbed my bag, putting it behind me as I laid down, using it as a pillow, a hard lump and uncomfortable pillow, but it worked. I looked up to Daryl, as he shook his head, answering my silent question. "Thank you" I mouthed before closing my eyes, hoping for a peaceful sleep. 

•••

"Hey, you okay?" Maggie asked walking over to me. Over the last six months, Maggie and I had become close. its nice to have a friend around that doesn't judge, even in this world. I had told her about what happened with Shane, the nightmares, and about Daryl. I could trust her, and she could trust me. 

"Yeah, just making sure I'm ready, " I smiled, but she kept staring at me. "Was there something else, Maggie?" 

"What happened with Daryl?" she questioned. I sighed, "he got angry with me doing the run yesterday." 

"Of course he did," she rolled her eyes, "then what?" 

"I asked him why he cared and when he didn't say anything, I walked away but-" 

"But what?" 

I turned away from her, "he pulled me back and kissed me"

"Finally!" I looked at her confused. Finally? "Did you kiss him back? Was it a passionate kiss or a don't leave kiss? Did you tell him you loved him?" 

"Woah Maggie, way too many questions," I laughed. "No I didn't, I was in shock, I just stood there, and then he didn't say anything so..." 

"So, he likes you," she smiled. "Maggie, he doesn't, it was just a pity kiss, he couldn't feel that way about me." 

"For someone so smart, you're really dumb Kaylee Grimes." She shook her head as she walked back to the rest of the group. Maybe she was right, and I was just overthinking it all. 

"Kay, come on" Dad called, I made my way over to the group, we were going in. Daryl kept his eyes glued to mine as I got closer to them, I could see the worry in them but I wasn't going to back out now, we had to do this. 

"Ready?" Hershel asked us all as he stood next to the gate, Dad nodded as he unhooked the clip I had put on there yesterday. I pulled my knife out, ready, as Hershel pulled the gate back and we made our way in.

We stayed in a tight formation with each other, back to back. The rest of the group were lined up behind the fence, banging taking out the walkers through it. 

"Stay close," dad told us all as we moved forward slowly. The walkers were coming from every direction, it was like they were never ending. I moved out of format as a walker started getting closer to us. I took a step closer pushing my knife into the walkers skull before pulling it out again and watching it drop to the ground. 

I felt someone grab my arm and pull me back to the group, I looked up, and of course it was Daryl, pulling me back beside him.

"Get tight, get tight!" Glenn shouted as Maggie went out of formation too. They were coming from everywhere once we took one down, it was like two more popped back up. 

We were getting closer to the building, I was walking backwards as mine and Maggie's shoulders kept bumping. We all kept our knives and other weapons held high. 

Dad kept up front leading us to where we were going, he used his machete to knock a walker off its feet as Glenn came behind him shoving his metal pipe into his skull. 

"Don't break rank!" dad shouted as T-Dog broke the circle, running over to the wall. "We need that!" he told him as he picked up a riot shield, using it to knock over a walker getting to close to him. Maggie ran forward plunging her knife into the walkers brain before Glenn pulled her back into formation. 

"Almost there" Dad told us as we kept moving forward, well backwards for me. Most of the walkers in the courtyard had been put down by now, so we made our way closer to the door.

Dad slowly pushed it open, as we kept our weapons raised, ready for anything. He didn't move in, instead poking his head around the corner of the wall. "Shit!" he cursed before throwing his body against the wall. I looked around him seeing a lot more walkers, they were the other side of the fence but the gate was open. I slammed myself against the wall next to T and Maggie, everyone was breathing heavily trying to catch their breath before moving forward again.

We watched as two walkers in riot gear started getting closer, before two more came out around the corner. Daryl fired his crossbow but it just bounced of the walkers helmet, it carried on getting close. Dad sighed, trying to put his machete through the walkers helmet, another walker with a gas mask came out of the open door and straight to Maggie,

she put her knife through his brain before pushing it away from her. 

All of the noise drew the other walkers out from behind the fence, I shoved my knife into a skull before kicking back another walker trying to walk out of the gate as Daryl pulled the gate closed, securing it this time. 

We both turned at the sound of more walkers coming towards us, they all had riot gear on, I watched as everyone tried to put their knife through the helmets, not working in the slightest. One was getting closer as I tried to hold it back. I held onto the front of it helmet and stuck my knife up through its chin, I pulled my knife out before it fell to the floor. 

"See that?" I asked, a smile on my face as Glenn and Maggie watched. They grabbed the next one, Glenn holding its helmet as Maggie stabbed it. Daryl did the same as dad took down the last walker. 

We all started to look around the outside of the prison, see if we could find any noticeable problems. Glenn started running towards the main gate where everyone else from the group was waiting for us. 

"Stop," dad told him. Glenn turned back around towards us. "Well it looks secure," he said. 

"Not from the look of that courtyard over there," Daryl said, pointing to the small courtyard filled with walkers we just trapped. 

"And that a civilian," I said pointing to a walkers body on the ground. "So the interior could be overrun from walkers from outside the prison," T said. 

"Well, if there's walls down, what are we going to do?" Glenn asked. "We can't rebuild this whole place. " he had a point, we can't do that. We have to make sure it secure. "We can't miss a blind spot," I added. 

"We have to push in," Dad told us all. Not everyone looked too happy as we all followed dad through the side door that was open. We all slowly walked in before T closed the door behind us, dad pushed open the prison gate open. 

We walked down the steps into what looked like a common room of sorts, we all split at the bottom of the steps making sure there weren't any surprises waiting for us. Dad pointed out which way everyone to go, he told me to go check the guards tower that overlooked the room, I gave him a nod before walking over the steps. 

I slowly went up the metal steps, trying not to make a sound before getting to the top, and jumping around into the guard tower with my knife held high ready for whatever was in there. It was a guard, a dead guard that put a bullet to their brain. I poked his chest with my knife just to be sure he was dead, I didn't want it jumping up at me. But I was okay, he was dead. 

I grabbed the keys from around his waist, I held them up to show Daryl and dad, they both nod at me. I headed back down the steps passing them over to him. He unlocked the gate that led into the cells, we all headed in, our weapons high once again, checking each cell as we went along. The place had been trashed, papers thrown all over the place, pillows everywhere.

Maggie, Glenn, T-Dog and dad all checked the cells downstairs, as I followed Daryl to check upstairs. 

We heard a bang at the end of the hallway, we gave each other the slight nod agreeing to move forward, he held his crossbow out in front of him ready to fire as he walked just ahead of me. 

When we got to the end of the hall, two walkers started to grab onto us through their cell doors. Daryl pulled me back, his eyes roaming my body for any signs of harm. He did this any time I was close to walkers. 

"I'm okay, " I said quietly, as his eyes looked up, meeting my gaze. He gave me a small nod before taking his hand off my arm, the warm feeling in my chest instantly fading. He pulled out his knife before putting down both walkers through the bars. 

"Clear" I hear Maggie shout from downstairs. "Clear up here too," I said as I made my way back downstairs, and as Daryl threw the bodies over the railing and down to the ground. 

I helped T-Dog drag the corpses out of the cell block whilst Maggie and Glenn went and got the others. 

"What do you think?" Dad asked them as they came through the gate. "Home sweet home," Glenn said sarcastically, I bit down on my lip to stifle a laugh. 

"For the time being," dad said. "Its secure?" Carol asked. 

"This cell block is," I told her.

"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asked. "In the morning, we'll find a cafeteria and infirmary" Dad told us. "We sleep in the cells?" Beth asked him, she didn't seem to comfortable with it. 

"Kaylee found keys on some guard, Daryl has a set too," he informed them, but they still looked weary, but we were safe. In this cell block were safe. 

"I ain't sleeping in no cage," Daryl said as he walked along the top floor, "I'll take the perch," he told us before putting his crossbow down and dragging a mattress over to the perch. Everyone started walking away, finding their own cells. I looked up, watching Daryl set up his space, I sighed. I walked up the steps and past Daryl as he kept his eyes trained on me, I walked into the closest cell. "No blood splatter on the wall, i'll take it," I laughed to myself before sitting down on the bottom bunk. These beds weren't actually too bad, they were kind of comfy, way better than sleeping on the ground. 

I laid down and closed my eyes my arm covering half my face. It was quiet in here, not how I remembered what a prison was like, well at least not the visiting rooms. 

I moved my arms and opened my eyes when I heard a tap on the wall. Daryl was standing there, his eyes locked onto mine. I sat up as he came in, he handed me my bag.

"Thank you," I smiled. "You staying in here?" he asked me as he looked around the cell I had chosen. "Uh, yeah," I answered, looking down to the floor. I wanted to stay with Daryl, of course I did. But not out in the open where everyone can see us, where my dad could see us. I can't do that. 

I felt the bed next to me dip, I turned my head seeing Daryl had sat down next to me, I sighed turning away from him again.

"I shouldn't have kissed you," he sighed, I knew it! He regretted kissing me, it meant nothing to him, but the thought of him not feeling the same way, felt like a dagger to the heart. 

"You regret it?" I asked, as I turned to him, it's like my mouth had a mind of its own and I couldn't stop the words spilling from it. "Do you regret kissing me?" Shut up, Kaylee.

He shook his head no. Wait, no? Then he doesn't regret it? Why is this so confusing? 

"We can just forget about it, you can sleep here," he said, annoyed, as he got up to walk out. But its like everything had a mind of its own today as I shot up and reached out grabbing his arm turning him back around to face me. 

I looked into his beautiful eyes, eyes that I always had gotten lost in, since the day I first met him. "What?" he asked half annoyed. talk Kaylee and talk fast.

"I don't want to forget about it, " I said before I could stop myself. "I don't want to forget about it, I can't forget about it." He looked down at me, confused, this height difference really coming into play right now as his body was so close to mine. My heart was starting to pick up speed. 

"You kissed me and I didn't kiss you back," I said, I could see the slight hurt in his eyes as I said those words. 

"I-I just," I stuttered, dropping my eyes from his and looking to the ground. "I'm scared, " I said barely above a whisper, unsure he even heard. 

He placed his hand under my chin, tilting it up to look at him, before he moved closer to me, his lips touching mine once again. My mind instantly spinning out of control as my heart raced, but this time I kissed him back. I lifted my arms putting them around his neck as his went around my waist, pulling our bodies even closer together. 

I quickly moved my arms pushing him back from me, we can't do this. Nope, this is bad. My brain was working over-drive as my heart continued to race, my breathing hitching, not being able to catch it at all. Daryl looked at me wide eyed and confused. 

"We can't," I said trying to catch my breath as I started to panic more. "My dad, we just, we can't," I told him. 

"Lee breathe," he told me his voice full of worry, he went to put his arms around but I stepped back. "Daryl we can't, you can't." 

"Lee, just calm down," my ears started to ring as I became more light head, I felt Daryl's arms wrap around me and gently push me onto the bed, he kneeled in front of me, his hand either side of my face. 

"Lee you need to take a deep breath," he told me, I tried to breath but the images in my head were taking over. I closed my eyes and Daryl no longer kneeled in front of me, I was no longer in the cell, I was in my room. I felt my body start to shake. I felt arms wrap around me once again I opened my eyes, my head was buried into his chest as he ran his fingers through my hair and down my back. He kept whispering into my ear telling me I was safe. 

"I love you Lee, I tried not to but I do." My whole body froze as he pulled away from me to look at my face. I felt like I stopped breathing, you have Kaylee, seriously take a breath. But I couldn't, I couldn't believe the words that just spilled from Daryl's mouth. He loves me? 

"You can't," I whispered. "We can't," I told him. 

"I do. I know you think you're not capable of being loved but you are."

I just looked at him like he had gone insane, maybe he has, maybe I have? But the look he had in his eyes told me something else, that his words were true, not that I couldn't comprehend them, they were true. I knew how hard it was for Daryl to love someone, he only ever loved his brother. It was a lot for him to let me in, for him to tell me he loved me.

Like many times today, my mouth had a mind of its own as it started to spill out words to him, "I love you Dar," I told him.

"But I'm still scared," I whispered, he nodded in understanding before he spoke up.

"Me too."


	18. Chapter 18

We were all gathered in the common room looking over the weapons and other things we had found. 

"Not bad," Daryl said, checking the flashlights had working batteries. "Flashbangs, CS Triple-Chasers," Dad said, looking over it. 

"Not sure how they'd work on walkers, but we'll take them," he said. Daryl picked up a riot helmet, holding it upside down as some sort of liquid dripped out of it."That's disgusting," I grimaced.

"I ain't wearing this shit," he said. "We can boil them," T-Dog suggested. 

"There ain't enough firewood in the whole forest, no," Daryl told him with a slight laugh. 

"Besides we've gotten this far without them, right?" he asked us all, swinging one of the batons. I nodded, agreeing with him. We've come this far.

"Hershel," Carol called him, we all turned to face her. "Everything alright?" Dad asked her, the clear worry on his face. 

"Nothing to worry about," she told him trying to force out a smile, I turned to dad, he was clearly worried about Lori and the baby. 

He shook himself off, as we carried on getting ready to go further into the prison. Daryl handed me a bullet proof vest, and I looked at him, confused.

He kept his eyes on me until I took it off him, I sighed as I pulled it on and he helped secure it around me. My heart racing from his body being so close, his scent, and the warmth coming from his body making me relax before he quickly pulled away. 

I pulled out my handgun, refilling the empty clip before putting it back in the holder. Maggie helped Hershel put his vest on, as Carl put one of the clean helmets on. I picked my own baton to use. 

Dad looked to me before going over to him. "You wont need that," he tells him before taking the helmet off him. Carl looks up at him, confused. 

"I need you to stay put," he tells him. "You're kidding," Carl scoffs, clearly not happy he's not coming with us, but I agree with dad, we don't need him coming with us too. 

"We don't know what's in there," he said, pointing past the gate. "If something goes wrong, you could be the last man standing, I need you to handle things here," he tells him. 

"Sure," Carl agrees, I let out a sigh of relief. He would be here and safe. Dad hands over the keys to him. "Great, lets go," he tells us all. 

We all start walking out but I'm stopped by Carl when he wraps his arms around me, I hug him back before pulling away and following behind Maggie. We hear the gate being closed and locked behind us. 

•••

We've been walking around the dark tunnels for about half an hour before coming to another locked gate, Daryl takes his set of keys out unlocking it as quietly as he can. 

We keep our flashlights high so we can see where the hell we're going, before turning another corner. Its like a maze down here, Glenn was using spray paint that he had found out on a run to mark the walls with arrows so we didn't get lost. 

We all came to a stop, checking the half eaten bodies on the floor outside the cells, the smell was horrendous, I couldn't wait to get out of here. I turned quickly when I heard Maggie scream but sighed in relief seeing she had just walked into Glenn. We had to be careful down here, unless we wanted to accidentally put a knife in one of our own heads. 

Daryl and dad checked the cells on each side before we carried on down the hall, we turned another corner before coming face to face with a dozen or so walkers.

"Go back!" Dad shouted, "Go back!"

"Go back," Daryl said before pushing me backwards, they were coming from every direction as we all ran back the way we came. 

"Come on, this way!" dad shouted as we kept running around corners.

As we ran down a hallway, more walkers came out of nowhere cutting myself, Maggie, and Glenn off from the rest of the group. 

"In here," Glenn shouted, as he pulled a door open, grabbing our arms and pulling us inside. He slammed the door shut behind us, the sound of walkers banging on the door trying to get in.

We came out of another door to an empty corridor. "Rick," Glenn whispered. "Daddy?" Maggie tried. "Daddy." 

The next thing we heard was screaming followed by a gun shot. We all looked to each other, before running off in the direction it came in.

When we turned the corner, Hershel was on the floor yelling in pain. "No!" Maggie cried out. 

I looked down seeing his leg covered in blood, shit he's been bit. Glenn and dad pulled Hershel to his feet, as more walkers came around another corner, "Daryl!!" Dad yelled as the walkers were getting closer, Daryl pushed himself into the front before firing a bolt into the closest walkers skull. 

We turned around just as more walkers came in to view. "Rick we're blocked," T shouted. Shit, my heart was now racing.

"Get back, get back!" dad yelled, pushing us all back down the only way we could go, "Here!" I yelled, coming across a set of double doors they had been locked together with a pair of rusty hand cuffs. 

"Get the door!" dad yelled. T-dog used his crowbar to break the rusted part of the cuffs off, we pushed the door open before all piling into the room. "Shut the door," dad yelled to Daryl.

He slammed the doors shut as him and T used there bodies to hold it shut, the walkers banging on it trying to get in. Dad and Glenn laid Hershel down on the ground as he continued to yell out in pain. T-dog quickly out his crowbar through the handles of the door to keep it closed.

I fell down to my knees next to Hershel, I pulled his trouser leg up, the blood rushing out from the bite. "Hold him down" I told Glenn as Daryl came over and held down his other leg. 

Dad pulled off his belt before wrapping it around his leg, pulling on it tight. "Only one way to keep you alive" I told Hershel, before nodding to dad, he grabbed his axe I held Hershel's leg down as dad swung it bringing it down just below his knee, he done it again and again, his blood splattering everywhere, I felt drops hit my face. 

One final swing and Hershel's lower leg was off completely. I watched as he slowly lost consciousness, dad stood up shocked to what he had just done. 

"He's bleeding out," I told them, putting my hands over the wound as the blood just poured out. "I need to stop this bleeding," I looked up to them. Before anyone could answer, Daryl looked behind, then back at me.

"Duck" he told me, without even second guessing him I ducked my head down, dad ducked to the floor beside me. Daryl stood up pointing his crossbow at something, I turned my head seeing at least four or five guys in prison jumpsuits behind a counter. 

"Holy shit," I heard one of them say. 

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl asked his voice filled with anger as he walked around us getting closer to the inmates. "Who the hell are you?" they asked back. 

"He's bleeding out" I told dad, "We've gotta go back!" Maggie handed me some rags out of Hershel's bag, I wrapped his leg "put pressure on the knee" I tell her, "Hard, hard!" I shout as I continue to put more rags over the wound, his blood just seeping through them. "Push Maggie!" I yell, as she puts more pressure down on his leg. 

"Come on out of there, slow and steady," I hear Daryl say, I guess to the inmates. I can't focus on them, I have to help Hershel. "What happened to him?" I hear one of them ask. 

"He got bit" 

"Bit?" 

"Oh, woah, woah! Easy now," I hear Daryl say, I turn my head around seeing one of them has a gun and is pointing it at us. "Ain't nobody got to get hurt" Daryl tells them. 

"You have medical supplies?" Glenn asked them walking around to where they were originally. 

"Maggie I need more rags" I tell her, she passes me more and I put them on top of the others. "We need to go, now!" I tell dad. He goes over to the top of Hershel's head and lifts up his top half so he's leaning aginst him. The walker moans continue to get louder as the bang against the door. 

"Who the hell are you people, anyway?" one of them asks. "Don't look like no rescue team," another says. 

"If a rescue team is what you're waiting for, don't," dad tells them.

"Come on, we gotta go," I say putting all my weight down, trying to stop the bleeding. 

Glenn brings out a trolley from out the back. "Come on, I need a hand here," I stand up out of their way. "One, two, three, go!" Glenn and dad lift him onto it, blood still pouring out of his leg. 

As soon as he's on the trolley, I go back to putting pressure on his wound, "Holy Jesus," I hear one of them say.

"T, the door" dad shouts to him, I climb onto the trolley to keep better pressure on the leg, as dad and Glenn spin it around.

"Are you crazy? You can't open that!" I wish they would just shut up already.

"We got this," T tells them as he opens the doors, a walker comes through the doors straight away and T takes it out. 

Dad and Glenn start wheeling us through the doors, "Daryl!" I call him, I look up, seeing he's still standing there with his crossbow pointed at the prisoners. "Daryl!" I called again. 

"Let's go, " T tells him, as they both walk out backwards still keeping his crossbow pointed at them. 

"This way, this way," dad shouts, pulling the trolley but soon he stops running, "no, no, no, no!" he says. "Back, back!" he tells them as walkers come around the corner coming towards us. 

"Daryl!" Dad yells, Daryl gets the message quickly taking out the walker getting closer to us. 

"Come on" he shouts as he starts running again, he pulls his bolt out the walkers skull as he runs past it. "Go, go, go" he tells us as he stops running, dad pushes the trolley past him and T. They stay behind us, watching out for the prisoners. 

We turn another corner before Maggie tells us to stop. "Stop!" dad repeats. Daryl points in the direction we just came from hearing footsteps.

"Follow the flashlight," we hear in the distance, the prisoners were following us. "Come on, lets go" one of them says. We see them turn the corner getting closer to us before dad stats pushing the trolley again, "Go, go, go, go," dad whispers as they carry on pushing us through the halls. 

Daryl gets in front of us to unlock the gate to the main common room outside our cell block. "He's losing too much blood," I tell them, my voice full of worry, as I watch the color slowly fade from Hershel's face. 

"Open the door, it's Hershel!" Dad shouts. "Carl, come on!" he shouts as we get closer to it. Carl quickly opens the door up as Maggie, Glenn and dad push us through it. 

"Oh my god" I hear Carol exclaim. "Daddy!" Beth yells. 

"Go, go, go, go!" dad yells again. "In there," I tell them, nodding my head to one of the cells closest to us. "Turn it, turn it," dad tells them, as they turn the trolley around and into the cell. 

I climb off the trolley, "Get him on the bed," I tell them. 

"He got bit," dad tells the others. "oh my god, he's going to turn," Beth cried. "Did you cut it off?" Lori asked dad. "Yeah."

"Maybe you got it in time," she says, hopeful. 

"Ready?" I ask them. "One, two, three," we lift him up and place him on to the bottom bunk. I sit at the end of the bed placing what was left of his leg on to my lap as I pull the rags covered in blood off his leg, the blood not having slowed down at all. 

"I need bandages," I tell them, hoping someone was listening. "We used everything we had," Glenn told me. Shit. 

"Well get more!" I yell, "Anything!"

"Carl, go get the towels from the backpack next to my bed," Lori tells him, he nods running out of the cell. 

"Is he going to die?" Beth asks, her voice full of worry. "No, no, no he's going to be okay, he's going to be okay. Kaylee's got him, " Lori tells her. 

"You think you can stabilize him?" Dad asks me. "I need to keep his leg elevated, get some pillows," I yell to anyone listening. 

"He's already bled through the sheets," Maggie points out. I sigh, seeing she's right. "I need to stop this bleeding," I say putting the towels around the wound. 

"We can burn the wound to clot the blood, I can start a fire," Glenn suggested. 

"No, the shock could kill him," I tell him. "It's not going to stop the arteries from bleeding." 

"You should keep it dressed and let it heal on its own," carol says. "No, we need to close this, someone go get my backpack," I tell them, but no one moves they all just look at me. 

"Now!" I shout. I sit up more, checking his pulse feeling how week it is. 

Carl comes back in with more towels and my backpack. "Go in it, and get the suture kit, theres also a bottle of hand sanitizer, give me that too, and the box of gloves," I tell him.

I felt really happy about the fact I had saved these now. 

"Beth, go get me a bowl of water" I tell her. She just nods, leaving the cells. "Here," Carl says putting them on the bed beside me. 

Beth comes back in with the water, I pull the blood covered towels off his wound the blood having slowed down a little, I take the bowl off Beth and pour some of the water on his leg so I can get a better view of his vessels. I put the bowl on the floor, putting both hands in, getting most the blood off them. I pulled them out shaking most of the water off them. 

"I go where I damn well please." We hear yelling coming from the common room. "What was that?" Beth asks. "Prisoners, survivors," Dad tells her. "What?" Carol says. 

"its alright, everybody stay put," he tells them before him and Glenn leave the cell.

"Maggie," I call her getting her attention. "We need to focus, okay?" she nods to me. 

"Okay, now put the sanitizer in my hand," I tell her, holding my hands out to her, she nods again picking it up and pouring some into my hands, I rub it in as best I can. "Get some gloves out," I tell her next, and she does so, holding them out individually for me as I slip my hands into them. 

"Someone put a torch on so I can see," Glenn holds his torch out, shining it onto his stump.

I open the suture kit, pulling the needle out and threading it. I quickly get to work on suturing the artery closed. "Someone hand me a clean knife," I ask one of them. Carol hands me one. "Sanitize it," I tell her, she pours some on the knife before handing it to me. I look up at Hershel's face seeing he's still out cold. 

I start cutting his muscle away making enough room to close the stump, while everyone watches me work. After an hour or so I'm finally ready to close the flap of skin I created. 

As I put in the last few sutures, Carol spoke up, "If we can get him through this..." 

"When," I corrected her. "When we get him through this," I said, looking over to her. "We'll need crutches," she finished. 

"Well, right now we could use some antibiotics and painkillers," Lori said. "There's got to be an infirmary here," I said, thinking out loud. 

"If there is we'll find it," Carol told me. I nodded to her, before moving Hershel's leg off my lap onto a pillow. I moved myself off the bed standing against the wall. "Now all we do is wait," I told them. 

I slid down the wall, as Lori took the vest off of him, his breathing still shallow. I laid my head in my hand not caring about the blood covered gloves that I still had on. "How'd you learn to do that, you're not even a doctor?" Beth asked me. 

"Beth!" Maggie snapped at her, "She just saved daddy's life." 

"Maggie, it's fine, " I give her a small smile, I turn to face Beth. "My best friend Nikki," I told her, "She was a trauma surgeon in New York, I met her when I moved out there." I smiled, thinking of the memories. 

"She used to let me shadow her in the ER, and watch her surgeries from the gallery, then quiz me on them after. She taught me more then what I ever learned in school. Took me to skills lab showing me all the different techniques she'd learned over the years, she taught me how to do surgeries on cadavers. She taught me everything I know, I wanted to be her. " I sighed, looking down at my blood covered gloves. I missed her.

"What happened to her?" Beth asked me, I look back up to her a single tear running down my cheek. "We were in the ER doing a shift when everything happened, she died soon after that." I quickly wiped the tears flowing down my cheeks. 

"Foods here!" I hear T shout, everybody leaves the cell, but I stay put, keeping an eye on Hershel. 

"Any change?" Dad asked, standing in the door way, I shook my head.

"I closed the stump, stopped the bleeding, and no fever. But his breath is laboured and his pulse is way down and he hasn't opened his eyes yet," I tell him.

"Take my cuffs, put them on him" he tells Glenn. I look up at him, shocked. "I'm not taking any chances," he tells me.

Glenn reluctantly takes his cuffs, stepping into the cell and putting the cuffs around the poll of the bed and around one of his wrists. "What's going on?" Maggie asks, coming back in. "We had to," Glenn tells her. 

Maggie sits down next to him on the bed holding his other hand in hers, the room was silent as Lori, Carol, and Beth came back in. 

We hear the gate open and close. "I thought you wear organizing the food?" Glenn asked Carl as he came in. "Even better," he smiled, handing me the duffle bag in his hand.

"Check it out." I take the bag off him, looking inside, I gasp pulling out banages and gores. "Where did you get this" I asked him.

"Found the infirmary, there wasn't much left but I cleared it out," he told us. I gave him a smile. Standing to my feet, going over to the bed, wrapping Hershel's leg with the bandages. 

"You went by yourself?" Lori asked him, the anger in her voice slightly poking out. "Yeah," Carl said, very happily. He was proud that he'd done this for him. "Are you crazy?" she asked him.

"No bid deal, I killed two walkers," he told her. 

"Do you see this?" she asked him motioning to Hershel and his leg. "This was with the whole group" 

"We needed supplies so I went and got them," he said, now getting angry. I finished wrapping up his leg. 

"I appreciate that but-" Lori started shouting but was cut off by Carl, "Then get off my back!" 

"Carl!" Beth snapped at him. "You can't talk to your mother like that!"

"Listen, I think its great that you want to help but-" Carl walked out of the cell, clearly pissed off. Lori looked to me sighing. "I'll go," I tell her. 

I stand up, pulling the gloves off, throwing them to the ground. I walked out of the cell, spotting Carl sitting on the steps. 

"Hey bud," I say. He lifts his head up for a second to look at me before dropping it again. I sigh, climbing the couple of steps, taking a seat beside him. 

"Hey, come on," I give his arm a little nudge.

"I had to do it," he tells me, "we needed the supplies, Hershel needed them." 

"I know, and your mom knows that too." 

"Then why is she acting like I did something wrong?" he asks me, I sigh putting my arm around him pulling him in for a hug. 

"She's just worried about you Carl," I tell him, but he looks at me like I've grown two heads. "Okay, as a semi doctor, what you did helped save Hershel's life." 

"But as your sister, it was stupid of you going by yourself. You could have gotten really hurt and we could have lost you too, and I can't loose you, okay?" I tell him.

"Okay," he says. He leans his head on my shoulder as I keep my arm around him, we sit for awhile. "Love you Kay Kay," he says with a chuckle.

"Love you too, dweeb," I laugh, ruffling his hair. 

"Kaylee!" I hear Maggie shout, I jump to my feet, jumping to the bottom of the steps.

"Do something! Somebody help!!" I hear Beth shout, I run back to the cell seeing Lori with her head on Hershel's chest probably to check if he's breathing, she starts blowing air into his mouth. I quickly make my way over to the bed and push Lori out of the way. 

I check his pulse and there isn't one. I swing my fist down, smacking his chest before starting compressions. "Come on," I whisper carrying on with the compression as Maggie and Beth stand watching me. 

I pinch his nose and slightly tilt his chin back before breathing air into his lungs. Hershel takes a big gasp of air as his free arm that's not handcuffed wrapped around my body.

I scream as I feel my body being pulled away from him, Maggie's arms wrapped around me tightly. 

We watch as Hershel's eyes slowly close again. I take a shaky step forward, holding my arm out slowly leaning down, putting two fingers on his neck. 

I sigh in relief, he has a pulse. I turn to the scared sisters, "he's okay, he's breathing," the relief in both their faces clear. 

•••

We were all sat around Hershel's bed, closely watching him breath before the rest of the group came back in to our cell block. 

"Hershel stopped breathing," Carl told dad. "Kaylee saved him."

"Its true," Glenn added.

"Still no fever," I told him, he gave me a nod before walking closer to Hershel's bed. We all watched as he slowly opened his eyes, "Daddy?" Maggie called out. "Daddy!" Beth said, happy that her father was okay. Dad quickly took the handcuffs off him, no longer seeing a threat. I gave them a small smile as a pattered Maggie's shoulder before grabbing my bag and leaving the cell.

I walked up the steps, past Daryl's mattress, and into my cell, throwing my bag down on the bed. 

I jumped as I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. I turn seeing Daryl with his hands up in surrender, a slight smirk on his face. I smacked his chest as I shook my head.   
"You okay?" he asked me, before stepping closer. His hand going to my cheek as he rubbed his thumb just under my eye. I gave him a small nod, the events of the day finally hitting me. 

"You did good, Lee," he told me before pulling me into his arms. He kissed the top of my head as I relaxed into his arms. 

"You did good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a doctor, but I have seen all the season's of Grey's Anatomy so some stuff might be wrong.


	19. Chapter 19

The sun had not long started rising, as I sat in the guard tower, my legs dangling over the side, the morning was peaceful. I had woken up early, not being able to sleep without Daryl by my side, the nightmares of the past filling my sleep. The fresh Georgia air filling my lungs helped a little to clear my head as I fiddled with the charm on my necklace; a habit I had picked up over the last few months when I started feeling overwhelmed. A bad feeling I've had since I woke up still in my stomach as the events of yesterday run through my head. Hershel's ear piercing screams that could be heard through out the dark hallways of the prison tombs, the prisoners we had come across, Daryl filled me in on the events of what happened while I worked on Hershel.

They had made a deal to help them clear out their own cell block, for half of their food supply. The plan going horribly for three of those prisoners, one was bit, their "leader" Thomas, as Daryl called him, took care of it by shoving his crowbar in his skull, this made me feel unsafe even more. 

It went worse from there on out as they all gathered in the laundry room. Apparently Thomas ignored dad's orders, he opened the doors to let the walkers barge their way into the room, not being able to control it the way he had wanted to. They started taking care of them as Thomas pushed a walker onto dad, making him fall to the ground, Daryl quickly shoving his knife into its skull. When Daryl helped him back to his feet, he made quick work of Thomas by bringing his machete down on his head. The image of dad killing Shane was all this made me think of. Seeing him kill someone, even someone evil haunted me. I didn't want to see my dad like that, but this world has changed us. 

One of the other prisoner Andrew I think was his name, took off running, leaving only two left, Axel and Oscar. After begging for their lives, dad agreed to keep to their deal, giving them their own cell block on the other side of the prison, far enough away from us as they can possibly be.

This still scared me but Daryl had said they didn't seem like bad guys for being prisoners and I trust his judgment more than anyone else's.

I'm fully lost in my thoughts that I don't even notice Daryl had made his way up the guard tower till he sits next me, I jump as his hand is on my knee he quickly moves it away. I turn my head to face him as he looks out across the fields into the woods, I sigh, turning back. 

"I don't think I can do this," I say quietly, after sitting in silence for a while. "What?" Daryl grumbles, a confused tone in his voice.

I take a deep breath before turning to face him again. "This, " I motion between us both, "whatever this is." 

"Lee, don't-" but I cut him off before he can tell me otherwise. "I said I can't, Daryl, please just..." I look down in my lap as I fiddle with my hands, I can't explain to him, he deserves better than broken and that's what I am, broken. 

"Will you stop cutting me off, woman?" he spits, clearly annoyed at what I'm saying. "Because of your old man or the voice in yer head telling ya so," I open my mouth but the words don't come out. 

He stands up quickly as he starts to walk back inside the guard tower, but my heart can't seem to let him leave, my breath catching at the thought of losing him. 

"Because of it all, Daryl," I say, jumping to my feet. He stops walking away but keeps his back to me, his shoulders tense, I take this as a sign to carry on. 

"I told you I was scared and I am. I'm scared to love you, because I'll loose you, or I'll- I'll hurt you, I can't. I've never had someone like you in my life and all my head is telling me is I'll screw it up and loose you." My voice starts to break a little. "All my life, I've been broken and only three people have ever made me feel like I'm not. My grandpa, my dad, and... you." I say the last part quietly, looking back down to my hands as I fiddle with my necklace around my neck. 

"You can't love me, I can't give you what you want. What you deserve," I say, barely above a whisper, as I try my best to hold back the tears now blurring my vision. 

"Yer not gunna loose me, Lee," I hear him sigh. "I know you want this but you're scared, yer scared to let me in. Yer demons are in yer head, not letting you think straight. Yer can't keep bottling it up." 

I slowly lifted my head to look at him. He had made his way over to me standing just in front of me. He reaches out to wipe the stray tear running down my cheek. 

"I told yer I loved ya, an I meant it," he said slowly, as he kept his hand on my cheek. "I'm scared too, my demons are haunting me too," he tells me, I look up to his gorgeous blue eyes staring down at me as he takes a step closer. 

"I've got my past screaming at me just like you do." I relax more into his touch as his hand cups my cheek. "Ya scared you'll yer gunna loose yer old man if you let this happen?" I slowly nod, Daryls gotten good at reading me, or I've just gotten bad at hiding it.

"Then we don't say anything." I look at him confused, before telling him, "I cant lie to him, I wont." 

"We're not lying, we're keeping us to us because that's all I care bout, and I don't want everyone in our business anyway," he tells me. 

I tilt my head back down to the ground before Daryl tilts my head back up by my chin. "I love ya Lee and I want you to be happy and if that's not with me, then that's okay too," he tells me softly, but I can see the pain his eyes at the thought of me agreeing to that option. The pain in my chest at the thought of not being with Daryl is apparent but the thought of loosing my dad in the process hurts just as much. 

He can clearly see the confliction in my eyes, before admitting "I've never wanted anyone but you Dar. I just don't want to hurt anyone because of it." 

"They wont get hurt, okay?" he carries on looking down at me questionably, before I finally sigh and nod my head, I let out a shaky, "okay."

It doesn't take him long before his lips smash into mine, as his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer, I wrap my arms around his neck as I kiss him back before pulling back to look at his face. 

"You're scared too?" I ask him, he slowly nods. "I haven't been scared since i was a kid, but my feelings for you, they scare me. Ain't ever loved anyone but my brother, this is all new to me." I nod in understanding. "Me too, take this day by day, no rushing?" 

"No rushing, " he agrees before quickly kissing me once more. 

I pull out of his embrace, going back over to the side of the railing, sitting back down, hanging my legs down and swinging them back and forth. Daryl takes a second but comes and sits next to me, we both just stare out into the woods enjoying the comfortable silence between us, we didn't need much this was enough for us. 

I slowly spoke up, "Do you think he's still alive?" I ask him, as he turns to face me. "Merle," I clarify. 

He chuckles for a second before answering, "He's alive somewhere," he tells me confidently, I look at him confused slightly. I get being hopeful but he was sure. 

"Nothing kills a Dixon but a Dixon," he says, turning back to the treeline, finished with this conversation. I wasn't going to push him, he never did with me and I respected that. 

The silence between us was comfortable, we sat and watched the birds fly from tree to tree. I jumped a little then looked down seeing Daryl intertwine our fingers together. I looked up being met with those gorgeous Georgia blue eyes, which made me glad I was sitting down, the look in his eyes made my legs feel like jelly. He smirked before turning back to face forward.

I looked down at our hands still holding on to each others, Daryl rubbing his thumb over my hand, not even knowing he was doing it. I sighed in, content, letting myself have this moment with him, leaning my head on his shoulder. I never wanted to leave this moment, it was just us.

•••

The early morning quickly moved on as the sun started getting higher in the sky, everyone was now awake. Carol and I were bringing the cars inside the fences after T-Dog, Daryl, and dad had moved the prison bus out of the way of the main gate allowing us to drive in. We both hopped out of the car after parking it in front of the now closed gate. We started walking over to them. 

"Okay, lets get the other car in, park them in the west entry of the yard, " Dad tells us. "Good," Daryl says, as he throws the chain we were using to the ground. "Our vehicles camped out there looked like a giant vacancy sign," he said, causing me to stifle a slight laugh. 

"After that we need to load up these corpses so we can burn them," dad carries on gesturing to the walkers dotted around the field. 

"It'll be a long day," I commented as Carol looked over to me asking, "where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help" 

"Up in the guard tower," I tell her pointing to one of the two guard towers closest to the prison building. 

"Guard tower? They were just up there last night?" dad asks me questionably, as I just shrug acting like I didn't know why as I tried to wipe the smile of my face. 

"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl shouts. Quickly after, a topless Glenn appears into our view as he buttons up his jeans, I try to stifle my laugh as he shouts back down to us. "Hey! What's up guys?" 

All of us let out a chuckle as Daryl asks him, "you coming?" 

"What?!" Glenn shouts clearly not hearing what he said, we all laugh a little more. "You coming?!" Daryl says again this time a little louder. Glenn just looks back to Maggie, we all start walking back towards the gate. "Come on, pizza boy, we could use a hand!" I call to them with a laugh. 

"Yeah we'll be right down," I hear him say, as I look to Carol both of our eyes wide, trying not to laugh anymore. I'm happy for Maggie she deserves some normalcy. 

"Hey, Rick!" T-Dog calls dad, causing all of us to stop and turn to him, following his line of sight we see the two prisoners, Axel and Oscar, walking over to the fence inside of the yard, the look on dad's face says it all, he's pissed.

Dad starts walking up the path before he tells us to go with him, I follow behind Daryl and T as we follow him up the path to the gate that leads into the yard, the prisoners walking through and up to us. "That's close enough," Dad tells them as we all come to a stop, I see Daryls hand slightly stick out telling me not to go further and to stay behind him, as I did. 

"We had an agreement," dad tells them. 

"Please mister, we know that," the little one with long blonde hair says, just as Maggie and Glenn come out of the guard tower just behind them. 

"We made a deal, but you gotta understand we can't live in that place another minute," he tells us, before carrying on. "You follow me? All the bodies, people we knew. All the blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts."

"Well then, you move the bodies out." Daryl tells them. "You should be burning them," T adds. "We tried, we did," he tells us, his friend keeping quiet until now. 

"The fence is down the far side of the prison," he tells us, which makes me worry. If the fence is down, that's not a good sign. The bad feeling coming back in my stomach as I look up to Daryl. 

"Every time we drag a body out those things just line up. So we've just been dropping the bodies and running back inside."

"Look we had nothing to do with Thomas and Andrew," the short one said, as he took a couple of steps towards us. "Nothin'."

The other prisoner walked to his buddy's side as he continued to talk. "You trying to prove a point, you proved it, bro."

"We'll do whatever it takes to be apart of your group." I looked over to Daryl, as he turned to me, neither of us sure if we believe if we can trust them. "Just please, please don't make us live in that place," he practically begged dad.

Dad turned to look at us before he told them, "Your deal is non-negotiable. You either live in your cell block or leave." 

"I told you this was a waste of our time" the other one stated, "they aint no different than the pricks that shot our boys," he said turning to look dad in the eye. "You know how many friends corpses we had to drag out this week?" he asked him. "Just threw 'em out. like- these were good guys, good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint like Thomas and Andrew," he said, now looking at us all. 

"Now we've all made mistakes to get in here chief. and I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me, we've paid our dues. Enough that we would rather hit that road than to go back into that shit hole." 

Dad turned to Daryl wanting his opinion in that matter, Daryl just shook his head. It was one thing having them the other side of the prison but a part of our group? He didn't trust them that well and neither did I. 

We walked them down putting them between the two main gates, Daryl locking it with the chain so they couldn't get into the field while we discuss what to do with them. 

"Are you serious?" Dad asked T-Dog. "You want them living in a cell next to you?" 

"They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"

"I never stopped," T said honestly. "Now bring them into the fold, we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves." 

"I don't know," Glenn sighed, "Axel seems a little unstable," he said referring to the little one. So, that's Axel.

"After all we've been through? We've fought so hard for all of this. What if they decide to take it?" Carol asks us. I fiddle with my fingers, as they continue to talk about what to do. 

"It's just been us for so long, they're strangers," Maggie whispered. "It feels weird all of a sudden, having other people around." 

"You brought us in," T told Maggie. "Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms. You didn't give us a choice," she said back, the thought of Carl being shot runs a chill down my spine. 

"They can't even kill walkers," Glenn pointed out. "They're convicts, bottom line," Carol said. 

"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do," T said, looking to dad. 

"I get guys like this," Daryl pipped up. "Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't pyschos. I could have been in there with him just as easy, but I'm out here with you guys. " 

"So, you're with me?" T asked him. "Hell no." T turned to him slightly shocked. I bite the inside of my cheek trying to hold the slight laugh.

"Let 'em take their chances out on the road, just like we did" 

"What I'm saying Daryl-" T went to say just before dad cut him off. "When I was a rookie, I arrested these kids- 19 years olds. Wanted for stabbing his girlfriend," dad told them, I look straight on to dad, remembering the case from when I was younger.

"Kid blubbered during the interrogation, during the trial. Suckered the jury, he was acquitted due to insufficient evidence."

"I remember that," I said, as everyone's eyes turned to me. "Two weeks later, he shot another girl," Dad nodded confirming how the story ended. "We've been through too much"

"Our deal with them stands," Dad tells us before he starts to walk away, towards the gate, Glenn and Daryl following him.

•••

"Move the Cars to the upper yard," Dad tells us as we all walk down the dirt track. "Point them facing out" he says pointing towards the front of the prison, "They'll be out of the way, but ready to go if we ever need to bail." 

Glenn runs towards the gate keys in hand ready to open it, dad slows a bit to walk beside T and myself. "We'll give the prisoners a weeks worth of rations" he tells him. T sighs,

"They might not last a week." 

"It's their choice," dad tells him. "Do they really have one?" T asked. Dad came to a stop reaching out for T's arm. "Hey, who's blood would you rather have on your hands?"

"Maggie's? Glenn's? Kaylee's? Or theirs?" I kept walking, not wanting to be a part of that conversation. "Neither," I heard T answer. 

I climb in the passenger seat with Maggie driving, she turns to look at me as she starts the car up before turning back to the dirt road in front of her. 

"What, Maggie?" I asked, half annoyed, half amused. She shrugs before answering, "Just wondering what happened with you know who," she teased, as I let out a chuckle. 

"Well you know who and I are taking things slow, seeing where it goes," I tell her, practically jumping out of my seat as I hear her squeal. "Woahhh, Maggie, calm down," I tell her. 

"Sorry, it's just Glenn owes me a candy bar now." I look over at her confused as she pulls the car up into the yard before turning it around. 

"You're both betting on my love life?" I asked, slightly pissed. "Well... yes," she said timidly, as she saw the look on my face. "I'm sorry Kaylee, we were just seeing how long it would take you two to see what was right there." I sigh, sitting back into my seat, leaning my head back to look at the ceiling. 

"It was just me and Glenn, we didn't say anything to anyone, I'm just really happy for you." I turned my head slowly to look her trying to hold a tight glare before smirking at her. 

"Fine, I'll forgive you. Only if I get half of that candy bar," I teased.

"Deal," she smiled, turning off the car and both of us climb out.

"Kaylee!" I heard someone call. I turned to see Beth standing by the open door to the prison, her face lit up. 

"Time?" I asked her and she smiled wider as she nodded. I smiled before turning to Maggie. "I'll be back," she nodded. 

I made my way over to Beth, following her to inside the cell block, Lori waiting by the gate. She gave me a half smile before handing me a pair of crutches they had found in the cell block they helped clear out. I fiddled with the hight adjustment as I followed them both to Hershels cell. I smiled at Carl, who was sitting on the steps fiddling with his knife. 

"All right," I smiled entering Hershel's cell, he sat up carefully. "Just take your time," I tell him, holding the crutches in front of him, standing there just in case he needs the extra support.

"Daddy, don't push yourself," Beth told him, he chuckled. "What else am I going to do?" he pulled himself up placing each crutch under his arms. "Can't stand looking up at the bottom of that bunk any longer."

"Whoa," I say, as he turns swaying as he does, I keep a hold of his shoulders. He takes a few steps forward then back, before tapping the crutches on the ground. "You know I feel pretty steady" he tells me. he takes a few more steps out of the cell, I can't help but smile watching him do so well. 

"That's a good start, wanna take a rest?" I ask him. "Rest?" he chuckles, "Let's go for a little stroll." I look at him like he's crazy, which makes him laugh more. 

"Come on, Kaylee," he keeps laughing as he keeps hopping out of our cell block, I look to Carl who just shrugs before running after him. I guess a stroll it is, I think before following after them. 

I slide the outside door open, going in front of Hershel down the stairs, keeping my arm up just in case. Lori and Carl on either side of him. "Got you here, if you need it," I tell him, watching him go down each step. He wobbled on the last one, but gave me a big smile when reaching the bottom. We carried on walking across the yard. 

"You cleared all those bodies out?" He asked. "Starting to look like a place we could really live in." 

"Hey you watch your step," I tell him, "last thing we need is you falling," he smiles to me, theres been a lot of those with Hershel today and I'm not complaining. 

"All right, Hershel!" I hear Glenn shout, I turn to see him, Daryl, and dad all between both fences.

"You're doing great, daddy," Beth says after catching up with us. "Ready to race Hershel?" Carl asks him and I cant help but laugh. "You give me another day i'll take you on," he tells him, making Carl laugh. Damn, I haven't seen that kid laugh like that in awhile. 

The moment went from the best to the worst, as I heard the familiar sound of walkers growls coming from behind us. I turned around quickly seeing a dozen making their way towards us. How did they get in, the downed fence? No, we blocked off that side of the prison. We had no time for questions as more started coming. "Walkers!" I shouted warning the others, pulling my gun out of the holster, Lori pulled her gun out taking aim next to me. 

We kept firing at the in coming walkers, faint shouting could be heard from dad, Daryl, and Glenn. More walkers were coming just as fast as we were putting them down, Maggie and T-dog now firing their guns too. 

"That gate is open," T-dog shouted, looking over to one of the far gates in the court yard, before he started making his way towards it, I kept firing my gun trying to cover him the best I could following him to the gate. 

"Lori, here!" I hear Maggie shout from behind me, I kept covering T the best I could as he grabbed the gate trying to pull it closed. 

I hear moaning coming behind me, I turn quickly before firing my gun straight up into the walkers chin, shit that was close. 

I turn back to T just as a walker takes a chunk out of his shoulder, "No!" I scream as he shouts out in pain, I shot the walker after T knocks his elbow into its head to push it off him. I shove my gun back in the holster trying to save my last few bullets before pulling my knife out.

"Come this way!" I shout as I open the side doo. "Hurry!" 

T runs behind me, slamming the door shut behind us. 

We started making our way through the dark prison tombs as a loud siren starts blaring, me and T both look to each other knowing this is getting worse by the second. we needed to get out of here, we don't know which gates are open walkers could be anywhere.

"There's a set of double doors that will lead to a corridor that will get you back to our cell block," he tells me, as he pants. "No, you should stop," I tell him, tears streaming down my face. 

"I'm getting you there," he tells me more firmly. "No, you should stop!" 

"Why?" he asks me, "to sit here and wait to die?" 

"I'll do what I have to, I won't let you become one of those things," I tell him.

"I can't ask that." 

"Its the pact, remember." 

"This is God's plan, he'll take care of me. Always has, hasn't he? He's gonna help me lead you out of these tombs," he tells me more adamantly as we round another corner only to come across a couple of walkers. Caught off guard as one lungs for me, it pushes me straight to the ground, my head slamming against the concrete floor, the feeling of warm blood drip out of my head.

"Kaylee!" T shouts before slamming his knife into the walkers skull, quickly pulling me to my feet, I stumble on them as I start to feel dizzy.

"You okay?" he asks me as I reach around feeling to see how big the cut is on my head, I trace my fingers along my skull before wincing feeling the cut on the crown of my head about four finger width's apart, slightly deep. 

"Yeah, just a little cut" I tell him, "We need to get out of here" he says and I only nod following him as he stalks down the tombs. 

Some of the prison lights now flickering on and off in the tombs, we carried on walking before more walkers came in front of us. I reach for my knife, sliding it out of the holder attached to my left hip. 

"Shit" I said as the walkers kept getting closer to us, my head feeling more dizzy as the seconds went on, the feeling of blood drip down my neck was all I could feel.

"Go back," I told T trying to pull his arm back with as I started to walk backwards.

"No, we're close," he tells me, pulling out of my grasp. "No!" I shout trying to keep hold of him before he started running into the walkers, screaming as he did so. He pushed them all the way back to the wall holding them there, "Go!" he screamed to me. "Go!" He kept screaming as the walkers took bites out of him, I ran past him, not before looking back, the tears falling down my cheeks watching as the walkers kept taking chunks out of him. "Go, I'm dead anyway," he tells me. 

I run through the door at the end of the corridor and I keep running through the tombs not knowing if I was going in the right direction.

My heavy pants soon attracted more walkers, but with only my knife I decided to just keep going and stay in front of them. I kept my eyes focused, not long before little black spots could start being seen. 

I had nearly lost the walkers before turning another corner to see four walkers there, I quickly stopped in my tracks, my heart racing even more than it was before. 

I looked around seeing a side room, I yanked the door open before I practically fall into the room, slamming the door shut, holding onto the handle with a tight grip, my knuckles turning white. The walkers now banging on the door trying to get through the small gap, my feet slowly sliding not being able to hold the door shut by myself.

I gripped my knife tightly, as I let my grip go a little, allowing the door to open slightly. As one of the walkers tried to push its way through the gap I shoved my knife into its skull. Sliding it out as the corpse dropped to the floor, just before another walker took its place, I repeated the process at least three more times before I felt no more banging on the door. 

My body slid down the door hitting the floor with a thump, barely able to keep my eyes open, my eyes feeling heavy just like the rest of my body.

I felt my head slam against the floor before my eyelids dropped closed, blackness consuming me.


	20. Chapter 20

_Daryl's POV_

  
Rick, Glenn and Myself had just set foot outside of the gates, collecting fire wood to burn the corpses.

"Should I take her out?" Glenn asked Rick pointing to a walker at the treeline. "No" he tells him "if that armoury hadn't been picked clean, we could spare the ammo"

"We'll start making runs" I suggest, as we keep walking along the fence, "The sooner the better"

"we'll throw as much wood as we can in the dog run" Rick says, "wouldn't a fire attract more walkers? Shouldn't we burry 'em?" Glenn suggests.

"We're behind a fence, it's worth the one time risk to get rid of the bodies for good. I don't want to be growing crops in walker infested soil" Glenn nodded, understanding what Rick meant. They started gathering up fallen branches as I stood on watch making sure we didn't get into any danger.

I held the break in the fence open for them as they climbed back through. "Lookie here" I said to them both nodding my head up to the courtyard, where Hershel, Lee Carl and Lori were walking.

Glenn chuckled dropping his pile of firewood down, "He is one tough son of a bitch" he said. Rick following suit dropping his pile down beside Glenn's, looking up to watch Hershel.

I watched Kaylee's eyes not leaving Hershel as she watches him take sturdy steps. The little smile tugging at her lips as she watches how well he's doing, damn I could get use to see that smile on her face. It was beautiful, just like her.

I'm quickly pulled out of my thought when Glenn shouts "All right Hershel"

"Shhh, now keep it to yourself" I tell him pointing to the couple of walkers coming out of the forest. "Oh man, can't we just have one good day?" he comments, I turn back seeing Kaylee had diverted her eyes down to us for a quick glance before turning around.

I could see her whole body tense, even at this distance, the words to come from her mouth would be burned into my memory. "Walkers!"

"No!" was all I heard rick shout, my feet having a mind of their own as I took of down the dog run. My heart started racing as I tired to keep my eyes fixed on her. Watching her take out her gun, the sounds of shots being fired I kept running.

"Get out!" Rick continued to shout, running beside me "get outta there!"

"The lock!" he screamed as he ran in front of me, I skidded on the rock floor stopping myself taking my eye of Kaylee for the first time. "Hurry up" I shouted as Glenn threw me the keys.

I turned and threw them to rick, before I started to run again, Rick fiddled with the keys when we reached the gate trying to find the right one. I looked up into the courtyard, Kaylee not in sight. The pain in my chest as I stared to think the worst, shaking my head I had to snap out of it, she was okay. she had to be.

Rick finally getting the gate to unlock as we all hurried through it running past the prisoners as they stood there.

"Get outta my way" rick said, as he started fumbling trying to find the second key to the main gate. "Come on" I shouted, my voice full of anger and fear. "come on, come on" we needed to get in there. Rick finally getting it open as the gun shots from the court yard to quieten down, we all started running up the dirty road of the field towards the court yard that was now filled with walkers.

We pulled open the gate as we reached the courtyard, taking out the walkers as Rick asked Hershel and Beth "what the hell happened?"

"The gate was open"

"Where's Lori? Kaylee, Carl? everyone else? he asked more frantic, I kept loading bolt into my crossbow taking care of the walkers still left. my eyes still darting around hoping to see those bright blue eyes that damn near sparkle in any form of light, as her hair bounced off her shoulders when she walked. I needed to see her, to see she's alive.

"Maggie lead Lori and Carl into C-block" Hershel told him, "But T was bit" Beth added on. "Anyone else?" rick asked franticly. "I couldn't tell" Beth answered obviously shaken up.

"Stay put" rick tells them.

"Those chains didn't break on their own, someone took an axe or cutter's to 'em" Glenn told us a little frantic. Rick turned to look at the two prisoners that had followed us up now standing by the gate to the court yard.

"You think they did it?" Glenn asked, "Who else" Rick answered the anger dripping from his voice.

Before I could say a word an alarm started blaring from speakers, all our heads started to dart in different directions looking for the source. "Aw- you gotta be kidding me" I look out seeing more walkers coming out of the treeline towards the outer fences, the sound of the alarm drawing them in.

Glenn and Rick started shooting the speakers dotted around the outside of the prison walls, the alarm still drilling into our ear drums.

I load a bolt into my crossbow, running over to Axel and Oscar keeping it aimed at them. Rick ran over shortly after, as he started screaming frantically at them both.

"How the hell can this be happening?" he screamed pointing his gun at them, Oscar slowly taking a few steps putting his hands up trying to defuse the situation, like hell that was going to happen. My girl was in there and I'll be dammed if I don't find her.

"Hey, it has to be the backup generators" he told him, "Well how'd he turn them on?"

"Look, there's- there's three that's connected to a diesel tank ok?" he explained, his eyes darting between mine and Ricks, my crossbow still aimed and ready.

"Each one controls a certain part of the prison, you had to shut 'em all off when the prison was overrun"

"Could someone open up the main gates electronically with full power?" Rick asked him pointing to the main gate with his gun.

"Look I- I only worked in there a few days I guess it might be possible."

"Alright come with us" Rick grabbed his shit pulling him along with him, I lowered my crossbow following after them.

"Lets go" I shouted to Glenn, we all took off running into the prison.

We ran into the common area taking out the walkers that had gotten in here as Rick ran into the cellblock.

"Lori, Kaylee, Carl!" Rick I heard him shout, hoping she was there and safe but deep down knowing fully well she wasn't there not being able to shake the feeling of something was wrong I made my way into the cellblock, not before pulling a bolt out of the walkers head placing it back where it belonged.

"We've put down five of 'em in there" I tell him, looking around the cellblock. she wasn't there.

"There were four in here, but no sign of Lori or any of 'em" he said frantically coming back down the steps. I let out a loud sigh, as the feeling in my chest just got worse, as the words 'please be safe' now chanting in my brain on a loop.

"They must have been pushed back into the prison" Glenn said, the obvious fear in his voice, Maggie was somewhere in here to.

"Somebody is playing games!" Rick shouted through gritted teeth, "We'll split up and look for the others whoever gets to the generators first shut 'em down!" he told us all, running through the gate that led to the tombs, Axel and Oscar following behind us.

•••

"Get 'em off, get the door!" Rick shouted as he, Oscar and myself pushed ourselves into the room where the generators are, walkers on our backs trying to get in.

Oscar and I leaned against the door trying to keep it closed as Rick done a quick sweep of the room before making his way over to the generator.

"How do you shut these down?!"

I looked up a Oscar, my feet sliding on the floor as I lost my balance. "Go, I got this" I told him. The growls from the other side becoming louder.

I hear a loud bang, turning my head to see sparks flying and Rick being pulled to the ground. 

That little twat Andrew, he was the one who let the walkers in and cut the chain on the fence. My feet kept sliding backwards as the force on the door kept building up.

I look down at my crossbow on the floor, my feet still sliding. I make a quick decision giving one final push of the door before letting go, grabbing my crossbow of the floor pulling the trigger right when a walker pushed its way through the now open door.

More of the walkers that had been drawn from the sound of its fellow dead friends had made their way to the door, stepping on the corpse on the floor. I dropped my crossbow, pulling my knife out of its sheath on my hip.

Advancing forward, pushing it into the closets walkers skull, pulling my knife out as I push the body with all the strength I had left into the other walkers making them fall to the ground.

I grabbed the door slamming it closed, quickly looking around for anything to keep it closed. the sounds of grunts could be slightly heard over the loud blaring of the alarm.

Spotting a barrel, I dragged it in front of the door, that should work.

"Shoot him" I heard Andrew shout, making my head whip around to see what was going on. "We can take back this prison"

"What you waiting for? Do it, its our house!" holding my knife up high, slowly walking around the generators, I spotted Oscar with Ricks python in his hand, then firing it.

Rick looked at him his hand up in front of him, Andrews blood now splattered on his face, I kept my knife high ready to pounce if this prick thought he could shoot rick too.

Oscar turned the gun around in his hand, then held it out to Rick taking a couple of steps closer to him.

Rick took a step closer before taking his gun, slipping it into its holster before making his way over to the generator shutting them down, finally the alarm stops.

"Lets go" rick tells us. I nodded, placing my knife back in its sheath. walking back over to the door picking my crossbow back up placing a bolt in ready to fire. Rick looked to me then Oscar silently asking if we were ready, we both nodded.

He pushed the barrel out of the way allowing the door to swing open, as the walkers on the other side had built back up and now making their way in. I fired my crossbow the bolt landing smack in the middle of the walkers forehead, as Rick and Oscar advanced forward taking care of the other two. I pulled the bolt of the walkers head, stepping over their corpses before pulling the other bolt out of the previous walkers skull.

I turned the torch on, that was attached to my crossbow as we made our way back through the dark tombs of the prison. Keeping our weapons high ready for anything. My mind kept slipping back to those sparkling blue eyes and her bright smile, quickly being replaced by her screams. Shaking my head trying to get rid of her now tear stricken face that had taken over.

Ricks tap on my shoulder brought me out of my thought, his head nodding to the corridor to our right. looking over hearing foot steps coming closer to us. we pushed ourselves against the walls, Rick nodding to Oscar, he brought his axe high into the sky ready to bring it down if need be. The foot steps grew closer, as they rounded the corner.

Oscar brining his axe down only to stop it quickly, our torch lights shinning up the faces of Glenn and Axel. They both looked us, the look on their faces said it all. They hadn't found anyone.

We carried on moving, the sounds of growling getting louder the more we made our way through. Coming to another corner in the tombs, its like a maze down here. We all stopped knowing the growling and moans were just around this corner but not getting any closer to us.

Rick held his hand up, before bringing it down as a signal for us to go. Rick going first myself closely behind him, we both came to a stop seeing two walkers having a feast with a body on the floor. My heart was now beating faster than before if that's even possible, the two walkers spotting us making their way to their feet.

We made our way closer to them, Rick shooting them both. We all stopped next to the body on the floor, now being able to see who it was, T-Dog.

We were all silent, no one knowing what to say or knowing where to look. looking around with my flashlight, something caught the corner of my eye. Doing a double take before I felt like my heart was now in my throat. No, it couldn't be.

I bent down, my shaky hands reaching out picking it up from the floor. I didn't need to get a closer look I knew as soon as I saw it, Kaylee's necklace. Standing back to my full height, my hand clenching tightly around it.

She can't be dead, but she wouldn't just let go of her necklace. Maybe it broke? My head was swimming as it battled against its self.

Glenn snapping me out of it as he pulled me back the way we came, before coming out of the door leading to the courtyard.

"Hershel!" Rick shouted

"You didn't find them?" he asks us as we all run over to where he and Beth were still standing. "Thought maybe they came back out here?" Glenn said, both of them shaking their heads.

"What about T?" Hershel asked, ricks head dropping. "he didn't make it" I told them.

"That doesn't mean the others didn't" Rick told me. "We're going back"

Ricks words became blurry all I could think of was Lee, she wasn't dead. I just new she wasn't, but she was alone. I needed to go find her, she needs me to find her. She could be hurt or trapped, she had to be alive I could feel it.

The sound of a baby's cries broke me out of my thought, everyone had stopped turning towards the sounds.

Watching Maggie, Carl and Carol walk down the steps into the courtyard, Maggie's arms covered in blood as she held a baby close to her chest. Carl walking behind her his face blank as he stares at the ground, his gun in his hand which also had blood on. Looking behind them both, there was no Lori.

"He-Help!" Maggie let out quietly making her way towards us, everyone was still standing still in shock. Rick walked closer to them, dropping his axe on the floor as he did so.

"I'm- I" she mumbled, the tears streaming down her face as she tried to keep it together. Rick started to pace, looking between her and Carl. "Where - where is- where is she?" he stuttered out. He walked past Maggie, she reached out to stop him "Rick no"

He stopped next to Carl, who was yet to say anything his eyes still on the ground below him. Rick dropped his gun before bringing his hands to his eyes as he started to sob.

"no!" he cried out, "no!"

"Coral!" he cried out.

Maggie went over to Glenn, as he wrapped his arms around her the best he could with the baby, my eyes dropped down to the baby, Maggie had wrapped it in Carls jacket, blood still covered the tiny body as they continued to cry. 

Rick dropped to his knees causing me to break my glace. My head spun to face him, he slowly stopped crying, his face turning emotionless as he stared out into nothing.

I approached him, bending down to his level. "Rick are yer with me?" 

"Rick?" nothing he continued to look forward like I wasn't there. Standing back to my full height, glancing around at everyone's sad faces no one knew what to do, Kaylee would, I sighed looking down slowly unclenching my fist her necklace glistening when it catches the light of the sun. Clenching my fist around it again, as I thought back the tears that threatened to spill in front of everyone. shoving my fist into my pocket, before pulling it back out again leaving the necklace there. 

Maggie gently placed the small tiny baby into Carls arms. "Let me see the baby" Hershel said, we made our way other to them, I asked "What are we gunna feed it?" 

"We got anything a baby can eat?" Hershel took a step closer with Beth by his side, looking down to the baby in Carls arms. He was yet to say anything. "The good news is, she looks healthy" a girl, Lee has a sister.

"But she needs formula and soon, or she won't survive" Hershel says looking directly to me. 

"Nope, no way, not her" I tell them bluntly, we weren't going to loose anyone else, not this little girl. 

"we ain't losing nobody else, I'm going for a run" I tell them pulling my crossbow over my head so it was laying across my back. 

"I'll back you up" Maggie offered, "I'll go, too" Glenn said.

"Ok, think where were going" I tell them before nudging Beth's arm "Beth" nodding for her to follow me, I stop and turn to her. 

"Kid just lost his mom, his sisters still missing and his ain't doing so hot" I whispered to her, she quickly nodded understanding what I was getting at. "I'll look out for him" 

"You two get the fence" I tell Axel and Oscar, "To many of those pile up, we got ourselves a problem." 

"Glenn, Maggie vaminos!" I call starting to walk over to the cars.

"Rick" Maggie calls out, stopping in my tracks turning to see Rick had grabbed his axe making his way into the prison the way Maggie and Carl had come out of.

"Come o-" I tried to say only to be cut off, by Carl "Where's Kaylee?" his voice breaks, his eyes dart around the courtyard trying to spot his sister. My chest starts to feel more heavy and the tears start to make their way back to my eyes. 

I walked over to him, crouching down to his height, placing one of my hands onto his shoulder. "we'll find her, she'll be okay" he nodded slowly, probably not believing a word I say. But I had to believe it.

Standing back up, I look to Oscar "Get the gate" I tell him. 

"Come on, we're going to loose the light" I started to run to the cars, Glenn and Maggie just behind me.

"There's a Piggly Wiggly on 85" Glenn suggested

"No, the baby sections been cleared" Maggie told him, we slowed down coming up next to the vehicles. 

"Lori asked me to keep an eye out, I haven't had much luck" 

"Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?" I asked.

"You know, we saw signs for a shopping centre just north of here" Glenn said. 

"Yeah but there's to much debris on the road, a car will never get through there" Maggie told us, couldn't catch a break. The bike it was. 

"I can take one of you"

"I'll go" Maggie volunteered herself, Glenn took a few steps closer to her whispering in her ear. I left them to it, as I made my way over to my bike. I pulled my poncho over my head, before checking my gun had enough bullet. I slid it into my waist band before throwing my leg over the bike and starting her up. Maggie quickly hopped on behind me her hands going to my waist making my body tense up immediately, I wasn't use to riding with anyone other than Lee. 

Reeving the bike, I drove us through the gates making our way out of the prison. 

•••

After driving for nearly hour, having Maggie shout the directions in my ear we pulled up into what looked like an old pre-school. Killing the engine, Maggie got off first i slowly followed taking in my surroundings as I did so. The playground was overgrown and falling apart, the building looked intact. 

"Company's close, stay tight" I tell her, she gives a simple nod in return as she pulls the small gate open. 

I stood watch as Maggie went to one of the windows, looking inside before smashing the window with the handle of her gun. She carefully climbed in first, I waited a few seconds before climbing in after her. 

Looking around the room we had climbed into, this place was defiantly a pre-school nursey type thing. There were two cots lined against the wall, toys scattered across the floor. There colourful handprints that decorated the walls each with a name written on it. My eyes scan them before I suck in a breath, my eyes landing on her name, written on a small yellow hand 'Kaylee'. 

it was like my eyes were stuck, I couldn't turn away from it. The sound of her screams filling my head. 

"Daryl" I heard but it wasn't Maggie, it was Lee. it sounded like a plea for help the scared tone in her voice made my heart break even more. 

"Daryl" I heard it again, as I felt someone grab my shoulder. Turning quickly Maggie stood there waiting for me to say something, it wasn't lee. I adverted my eyes back to the hands. Maggie followed my glace before hearing her sigh. 

"She'll be okay Daryl" she said softly, "She's probably back already freaking out that you aren't there" I chuckled a little, turning to look at Maggie again. "She'll be okay" I said quietly, nodding. 

"Nothing can stop here, we both know that she's to stubborn" she gave me a small smile before turning back to the cupboards. Yeah she was stubborn that was for sure. 

Maggie filled her bag with things from the cupboards before we moved on throughout the building. switching my torch on to light up the way as we checked the rooms for walkers, spotting a small doll on the floor with a yellowish dress on I smiled to myself, bending down to pick it up. 

The was a small bang coming from back up the hallway causing me to stop and turn, seeing Maggie had turned to the noise to, we both stepped quietly towards the room.

Putting the torch into my mouth as I turned the door handle as quietly as possible before stepping into the room. Maggie close behind me, The banging was coming from the long cupboard, I nodded for Maggie to open the door as I pulled my crossbow of my shoulder holding it up ready to shoot. 

Maggie pulled it open and I fired a bolt straight in, hitting the opossum straight threw the eyes. "Hello dinner" I said through the torch still in my mouth stepping over to collect it. 

"I'm not putting that in my bag" she said unamused before rummaging threw the other cupboards. I shrugged as I pulled the bolt out of it putting it back.

"Jackpot" Maggie said pulling cans of formula out placing them into her bag. 

"Come on, its starting to get dark out" she nodded before following me back to the broken window and back to the bike.

•••

Pulling into the prison, it was now dark outside. Someone opened the gate for us as Glenn shot walkers from the guard tower.

Parking the bike quickly, we ran into the prison the sounds of the babies crying echoing throughout the cell block. Making my way over to her and Carl hoping she was with them, but hope means shit.

Carl looked up to me a sad smile on his face, "How she doing?" I asked him he just looked down to his baby sister, as she continued to cry. crouching down to their level I put my arms out, Carl gently passing her over. I stood back up gently rocking her, holding my hand out for the bottle Beth made up. 

once she passed it to me the bottle, I offered it to the baby, "shhh, come on" she took the bottle into her mouth suckling on it as fast as she could causing me to smile.

"She got a name yet?" I asked Carl, "n-not yet but I was thinking maybe Sofia? then there's Andrea too, and Amy, Jackie, Patricia" 

"or Kaylee or Lori, I don't know" he said his head looking down. I looked down to the content little girl in my arms, Lee would have loved to see this, to see her. 

I fight back the tears once again today, " you like that? huh" 

"Little ass-kicker" I looked up to see everyone had a smile on there face, "right? that's a good name right?" causing some to let out little laughs.

"Little ass-kicker? you like that huh" I said again looking back down to her. "You like that sweetheart" 

Once she had finished her bottle, I gave her to Beth so she could put her down for the night.

"We started clearing out the tombs, we didn't get very far though" Glenn said quietly to me, my head spun towards him, my eyes wide.

He sighed placing his hand on my shoulder, "I'm sorry man, we didn't see anything" 

I took a step back causing his hand to drop I felt like someone had the hand wrapped around my throat constricting all the air from getting to my lungs. I somehow made my way outside making my way over to the guard tower, the light from the moon lighting up the courtyard and field. 

Just as I open the door to the guard tower, the field catches my eye, not just the field more the freshly dug graves did. closing the door, I walked down the field towards them.

looking at the graves with handmade crosses for headstones. Looking at them each they had been engraved, 'T' 'L' 'K' at that moment I felt bile rise from my stomach. They dug her a grave? I felt like I was seeing red, I pulled the cross out of the ground throwing it as far as I could. she's not dead, she's not dead kept running through my head. I dropped to my knees next to the freshly dug dirt as I let my tears fall freely. 

I let out a scream as my hands clenched through the dirt. she can't be dead.


	21. Chapter 21

_Daryl's POV_

We'd spent most of the morning clearing out the generator room, slowly making our way through the prison. I was looking for any signs of her, in case somehow she made her way closer to this side of the prison, but there weren't any. But I wasn't going to stop looking, not till I knew.

Carol had found me early this morning, still sat by the mound of dirt that was an empty grave. My cheeks stained from tears that had now stopped, my fist had clenched around the small necklace I had once given her.

She didn't say a word, just sitting down on the ground next to me, placing her arm around me. Carol understood, she was one of the few people that understood me. She knew what finding Kaylee in that forest all those months ago did to me, knocking down the walls I had spent my whole life building.

Carol had eventually pulled me back inside the prison, Oscar, Axel, and Glenn needing my help to start clearing the prison. Rick was still gone, no one had seen him since yesterday. I know she would hate to see him like this.

After clearing out the generator room, Axel staying behind to fix the damage Andrew caused. The rest of us headed back to the cell block much to my disagreement. I needed to find her.

Everyone was sat in the common room, eating breakfast that Carol and Beth made, I sat on the steps away from everyone.

Carl's head hung low, as he sat silently opposite Beth feeding lil ass kicker, everyone was silent. The events of yesterday still fresh on their minds.

"Everybody okay?" Rick's voice echoed through the room as he walks through the gate. He had cleaned up, no longer covered in blood.

"Yeah, we are," Carl said, turning around to face his dad.

"What about you?" Hershel asked him as he made his way fully into the room.

"Cleared out the boiler block," he said simply, looking down to Carl.

"How many were there?" I asked him.

"I don't know," he sighed. "Dozen, two dozen."

"I have to get back," he said suddenly, putting his hand on Carl's shoulder. "I just wanted to check on Carl."

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies, you don't have to," Glenn tells him, standing up from the table.

"No, I do," he tells him more sternly, before making his way over to me, asking "does everyone have a gun and a knife?"

"Yeah," I nod, "we're running low on ammo though."

"Maggie and me, we're planning on making a run this afternoon, Found a phone book with some places we can hit look for bullets and formula," Glenn adds.

"Cleared out the generator room," I tell him. "Axel's there trying to fix it. Case for emergencies."

"We'll sweep the lower levels as well," I add on, my mind instantly going to her.

"Good, good" was all he said as he walked back out the gate, closing it behind him. "Rick!" Hershel called after him.

•••

Oscar, Carl, and Myself had started making our way through the tombs. Carl insisted he had to come, he said he had to know. Couldn't really argue with that.

It was quiet walking through the dark tombs, the only light coming from the torches we had. Carl kept to my side with his gun and handmade silencer attached and ready to go.

We soon started hearing quiet banging, getting slightly louder as we got closer.

Walking through one of the gates, we find the source of the banging as a door kept opening then to be closed again, the corpses on the ground blocking it from opening fully.

"Check it out, man," Oscar says, shining his torch onto the door. "We must have missed it last night."

"Its probably just one or two of them," I say, pushing the door closed with my finger. "Don't look like they got much fight in," I push the door again when it reopens.

The fear now coming back as the demons in my head scream at me, 'what if its her, what if she's turned?'

Shaking my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts, i go to open the door, my hand stopping mid air. I couldn't do it, not being able to face the demons. I let my hand drop, "It aint going anywhere, we'll get them on the way back."

I walked back over to Carl, giving him a slight nudge, causing him to look up at me. "Come on," I tell him as we keep walking through the tombs.

"You know, my mom, she liked to whine. She liked to smoke in bed, Virginia slims." He raised his eyebrows at me, not sure what I was on about before dropping his face back to his feet. I carried on.

"I was playing out with kids in the neighbourhood. I could do that with Merle gone. They had bikes, I didn't."

"We heard sirens getting louder and they jumped on their bikes ran after it, you know. Hoping to see something worth seeing." I carried on, checking the open doors.

"I ran after them, but i couldn't keep up. I ran around the corner, saw my friends looking at me. Hell, I saw everybody looking at me. Fire trucks everywhere, people from the neighbourhood."

"It was my house they were there for, that was my mom in bed. Burnt down to nothing. That was the hard part, you know. She was just gone, erased. Nothing left of her." I don't know why I was telling him all this.

"People said it was better that way," I let out a laugh. "I don't know, it just made it seem like it wasn't real, you know?"

Carl let out a small sigh before he started to speak. "I shot my mom." I stopped walking, turning to look at him.

"She was out, hadn't turned yet. I ended it before it was real." We both looked down.

"I'm sorry about your mom" he said quietly. "Sorry about yours," I tell him, putting my hand on his shoulder before we carry on walking.

•••

It was like these tombs were never-ending, one big maze, that's what it is. 

We'd been going through each cell block and had just made our way to A block on the far side of the prison, also known as solitude. I kept my crossbow high walking through, checking each of the cells, Carl right behind me. 

"Oh that's what I'm talking 'bout!" Oscar said cheerfully from behind us, causing Carl and I to stop. 

I walked back to the cell he had just gone into, watching him reach to the floor, grunting as he did so. "Yeah buddy!" he said, looking over the slippers in his hand.

"What the hell you need slippers for?" I asked him. 

He looked up as both me and Carl, like the answer was obvious, "You know? End of the day. Relaxing"

I shook my head a little, before the sound of a walker getting close to us. I spun around firing my bolt straight into the side of it's head, as Carl shot at it, another two shots coming from Oscar. That shit was too close. I looked down at Carl, as he let out a deep breath. I released a breath I didn't realise I was holding. 

"All right." We all walked closer to the corpse, shining my torch down on it. "Must have been in the cell at the end. We checked everywhere else." I pulled my bolt out of its skull. 

"Come on, lets check the rest," I tell them, Carl's eyes trained on the floor. 

We checked the rest of cellblock A, finding no more walkers, but no Kaylee either. 

Carl looked up, the tears building in his eyes. "She's not here," he said quietly. I felt like my chest had been ripped apart even more then it already had. 

"We're not going to find her, are we?" he asked, the tears now running down his cheek. I don't think I ever realised how much he looked like his older sister. 

"I'll find her" I tell him, " You two go back to C, I'll take another sweep." 

Oscar nodded, placing his hand on Carl's shoulder trying to get him to go with him but Carl shrugged him off, "No!" he shouted.

"She's my sister! I need to find her. I do!" he cried. Without even thinking, I pulled Carl into my arms. He stiffened for a second then wrapped his arms around me. 

"I'll find her, I promise. I'll bring her back." He quickly pulled away, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand as he slowly nodded. 

Carl turned to start walking back with Oscar before he stopped turning to look at me again. "Daryl, if you find her and-" his voice breaks a little, "can you make sure I get to say goodbye first?" 

I nodded to him, too afraid if I spoke, the sobs would just come with it. I needed to find her alive, not just for me, her family needed her, Carl and little ass kicker needed her. 

Oscar put his arm around Carls shoulder leading him out of the cellblock. 

I sighed, making my way through the tombs the way we came.

We'd cleared the tombs by this point, corpses dotted around the floor, none of them her. 

I had made my way back to the banging door that was still banging open and closed, in that moment I got a gut-wrenching feeling. It had to be her. My chest started to heave like someone had sucked all the air from my lungs. I dropped my crossbow to the floor as I leaned against the wall opposite to the door, watching as it pushed, open hitting the corpse on the floor and banging closed again. 

My feet slid out from under me as my ass hit the ground. I had to do it, open the door. I had to see, to know. 

I crossed my legs under me as I watched the door open and close, taking my knife out ready. Could I really do it? Plunge my knife through her skull, through Lee's skull? My heart rate started going faster again. 

I wasn't there to protect her, closing my eyes as I lean my head back on the wall. Kaylee's face is all I could see. Sitting in the guard tower, watching her as she watches the stars.

Her eyes always sparkling like them, the small smile she always had on her lips as she stared up at them. They were her way of calming down and becoming centred, and she was mine. 

I gripped my knife more firmly bringing the blade down to the concreate floor, small specs of dust coming from the impact as I kept bringing it down harder. The sound of the door opening and closing now fuelling the anger that kept building up. 

I banged the knife and my hand into the wall beside me, once, twice, three times before I pulled myself to my feet.

"You have to," I kept whispering to myself, hoping it would give me the balls to finally face it. But I still couldn't, it was like I was fighting with two sides of myself in my head. 

When the door pushed open again, I brought my leg up kicking it closed, I couldn't do this. 

My breathing now heavier as I panted. I started to walk away, only to stop dead in my tracks. She would want me to bring her back to her family, either way. She would want to be with them. Taking a deep breath I turned back, placing the knife in my mouth, pulling the corpses away from the door. 

Taking a final deep breath, holding my knife up in the air ready to attack, I pulled open the door. 

Nothing came jumping out at me, I looked around the dark room before my eyes dropped to the small figure curled up on the floor, a small pool of blood formed at the head. 

My knife dropped to the floor, as I followed, dropping to my knees. Gently pushing hair out of her face, lifting her chin to see her. She was there, she was really there. Her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening, the piercing blue eyes landing on me. "Dar?" she said, barely above a whisper. 

I felt a tear run down my cheek as I smiled. "Yeah, its me," I told her watching as her eyes drooped to a close again.

"I got you," I told her, pulling her into my arms, standing back to my full height as I started walking back to our cell block, carrying her in my arms where she belonged. 

I looked down at her face that was covered in blood, and her hair was too. I held onto her tightly, watching her eyes flutter open and closed. "Hey stay with me, Lee." 

"Just keep looking at me," I told her, her eyes now half open as she looked up to me. I could see the battle she was having to keep them open. I quickened my pace.

Her skin was paler than I'd seen it before, darker circles around her eyes more than normal. But she was still beautiful to me. She's okay. 

"That's it princess, eyes on me." 

We made it back to the cell block, carefully placing her onto one of the cots in the cell where we had been keeping all the medical supplies. 

I quickly grabbed a towel, sitting beside her on the bed placing the towel on the back of her head, causing her to wince. 

"I'm sorry," I tell her, her eyes meeting mine. 

"I shoulda been there." My voice starts to crack a little, I look down feeling her hand take mine bringing it close to her, she kisses my knuckles. 

"You saved me, dare" her voice was still harsh and quiet. Standing up quickly, I reach for a bottle of water before helping her take small sips. 

Sitting back beside her, taking her hand in mine once again. I bring it up to my lips giving her a small but shaky kiss on her knuckles.

"We're not going to hurt you, unless you try something stupid first alright?" I hear Rick from the common room. 

"What's happening?" Lee asks me, "Is everyone okay?" she asks, the worry in her eyes poking through, she always cared about others before herself. 

"I'll go get them," I tell her standing up, but Lee's hand grips mine more stopping me from walking away. I turn to look at her as she speaks.

"You always come and bring me back" she says, tears filling her eyes. Leaning down, placing a kiss on her cheek, I whisper into her ear, "Always" 

Standing back up walking out of the cell, taking one last look at Kaylee laying on the small bed, looking straight up, a look of relief over her face. Walking into the common room, seeing Rick kneeling down next to a woman. 

"Rick," I say getting his and everyone else's attention. "Who the hell's this?" 

"You wanna tell us your name?" Rick asks the woman, she had blood covering her, she must have been injured somehow. 

"You wanna tell us your name?" he asks her again but she just keeps staring at him straight in his face, probably trying to figure him and us out. 

"Y'all come in here," I tell them, as Rick stands back up straight. "Everything alright?" 

"You're gonna want to see this" I say with a smile. 

"Go ahead, Carl get the bag," he tells the others, Beth and Hershel make their way into our cell block as Carl grabs the bag and the red shopping basket from the woman. 

"We'll keep this safe and sound," he tells her, holding up her katana, "The doors are all locked. You'll be safe here and we can treat that," he nods to the wound on her leg.

She looks around the room, before looking at herself then back to Rick. "I didn't ask for your help," she tells him.

"Doesn't matter," he says turning around walking out the room as I follow him. "Can't let you leave," he says going through the gate closing and locking it behind me.

Everyone's eyes were on me as I walked past the first few cells, before coming to a stop in front of where Kaylee was. Carl stood at the end cell, his eyes on me, unsure whether to follow or not.

Rick looks to me confused before looking into the cell, as Kaylee slowly sits up on the bed. His eyebrows further together confused but the you can see the relief wash over his face.

_Kaylee's Pov_

Daryl had found me, bringing me back to our cellblock. 

As he stood up to get everyone else, my hand gripped tightly onto his, stopping him from going. Truthfully, I never wanted him to leave my side again. 

"You always come and bring me back," I tell him, tears building up in my eyes. He leans down placing a small kiss on my cheek, sending goosebumps over my body, and a shiver down my spine when he whispered in my ear "Always" before pulling away and walking out of the cell.

Laying fully back, looking up to the ceiling letting out a sigh of relief as the tears ran down my cheeks. I was okay, I wasn't going to die. Silently thanking who ever was looking out for me up there. 

I could hear the voices coming from the other room getting louder as they got closer to me. Hearing footsteps getting closer to the cell I was in. 

Slowly sitting up, looking to the door, there stood my dad. More tears made their way down my cheek, letting out another sigh of relief, he was okay. "Daddy" I muttered as more tears fell. 

Swinging my legs around before they landed on the floor below me, standing up slowly as dad took a step closer to me, a smile on his face now as he muttered, "Oh, thank God." 

He pulled me into his tight embrace wrapping his arms around me afraid to let go. "Thank God," he kept whispering. "You're okay," he whispered holding me tighter.

He let go looking to my face checking me over. "I'm okay, dad." I give him a small smile before he steps to the side and Hershel steps forward pulling me into a hug. "How?" he asks me.

"Solitary," I tell him before Daryl speaks up. "Poor thing fought her way into a cell, must have passed out after hitting her head."

Hershel stepped back and to the side, my eyes landing on Beth, my eyes dropping to her arms, as a small baby laid in them.

I smiled, covering my mouth with my hand, looking at the baby wrapped in a pink blanket. I have a sister. I looked back up and behind Beth, but where was Lori?

I turned to look to dad, his smile dropping as he looked to the floor, no. He let out a small sob before covering his face with his hand. Placing my hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, dad." Tears now back to falling down my cheeks, pulling him into my arms. He held on just as tight as he continued to cry. 

After a minute or so I pulled back at the sound of my name, "Kaylee?" Looking down, I see Carl with dad's sheriff hat on. Dad dropped his arms allowing me to face Carl as he ran forward into the cell, pushing past everyone, wrapping his arms around my waist.

Dropping to my knees, I pulled him in more as I held him in my arms. He started to cry on my shoulder. 

His cries became louder as I held on tighter, whispering in his ear, "it'll be okay. we'll be okay" But will it? He lost his mom, we both did. 


	22. Chapter 22

"Everyone else is okay?" I ask them as I sat on the bed holding my little sister in my arms, she's so perfect and tiny. She looked like Lori, but you could definitely see the hints of Shane in her. 

"Everyone else is okay," dad told us, the tears still in his eyes.

"Does she have a name yet?" I looked up, everyone was still huddled around the cell. "Daryl's been calling her little ass kicker," Carl tells me, causing me to laugh.   
I look at Daryl and smile, "I like it." 

"Let's get that head looked at," Hershel says, sitting on the bed beside me. 

"Its okay, I can do it," I smile to him. Dad looks down giving me an unimpressed look. "Let Hershel take a look, Kay." 

I roll my eyes, "I can do a running whipstitch with my eyes closed, someone just get me a mirror and I'm good to go." 

The unimpressed look on dad's face now transferred on to Daryl's too, causing me to sigh. "Fine, this once, but be careful, it hurts like a bitch," I tell Hershel. He lets out a small chuckle, grabbing a suture kit and some antiseptic wipes. 

"Here, Carl," I call him over, I hold out my arms and he carefully lifts little ass kicker out of my arms. 

"It's lucky you seem to have nine lives, " Hershel laughs, Carl laughs a little.

I wince when Hershel starts to dab the cut. I close my eyes once I feel the needle going through my skin, my hands gripping the sheets on the bed. I can feel the tears burning up behind my eyelids as I struggle to keep them at bay. 

"Nearly done," Hershel tells me, I hum in response.

"I'm putting this one on to help keep it clean, you know the drill with it." He wraps a bandage over the now stitched cut and around my head. 

I watch dad and Daryl move off to the side talking about something, but not loud enough for me to hear.

"Thank you," I give him a half smile once he's finished. 

Standing up to my feet, Carl looks up at me starting to laugh. "Hey, what's so funny?" 

"You look weird, " he tells me, causing me to laugh a little. 

"Didn't you know this is in style now?" he looked at me, confused. "Oh yeah, must have look for the end of the world," I try to say seriously but we both burst out laughing.

Daryl and dad started making their way back towards the common room, Hershel following after them with a bag of supplies. I look at Carl, confused.

"We found a woman outside the fence, she was hurt bad so dad brought her in. She a had shopping basket with formula in it," he tells me. I give him a nod and followed after them. 

Walking into the common room, there's a dark skinned lady with killer dreadlocks, she was holding her leg. I guess that's where she was hurt. She didn't look very happy to be here, that was for sure.

"We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food, water, and then send you on your way," Dad tells her, Daryl stands the other side of him, his crossbow ready if he needed to use it. 

His eyes dart to me as I sat on the table next to them, Hershel leaned against the table next to me.

"But you're going to have to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula," Dad tells her.

Her eyes looked around the room, from dad to Daryl, Hershel, then me before she looked back up at dad. "The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl."

My eyes go wide, Maggie and Glenn. 

"What happened?" dad asked her.

Hershel pulled himself back up to his foot with the help of the crutches, the worry written all over his face. "Were they attacked?" 

"They were taken," she tells us. Taken? What the hell does that mean? Kidnapped- taken? My heart felt like it was beating a million miles an hour at the thought of my best friend being in danger. 

"Taken by who?" I pipped up. 

"By the same son of a bitch who shot me," she tells us through gritted teeth.

"Hey, these are our people, you tell us what happened now!" Dad stepped forward, pressing his hand down onto her bullet wound, she pushed him off her, as Daryl raises his crossbow, I jump off the table back to my feet.

"Don't you ever touch me again," she points her finger in dad's face. The look in her eye all too familiar.

"You better start talking then," Daryl says. "You're gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound," he points the crossbow directly in her face.

"Find them yourself," she tells him, looking straight at him, unfazed, to have a weapon pointed at her. 

"Put it down," I tell Daryl, putting my hand on top his crossbow. He gives me a questioning look, I give him a small nod and he lowers it. I step forward to stand in between them all.

"You came here for a reason," I say softly, watching as she leans against the gate to hold herself up. She looks behind me at the men, then back to me. 

"There's a town, Woodbury, about 75 survivors. I think they were taken there."

"A whole town?" I ask her. She nods, "It's run by this guy, calls himself the Governor." 

I turn and look at dad as she carries on. "Pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type."

"He got muscle?" Daryl asks her. 

"Paramilitary wannabe's, they have armed sentries on every wall," she tells us.

"You know the way in?" dad asks her. 

"Place is secure from walkers, but we could slip our way through."

Dad lets out a small sigh, questioning everything she's said, it's who he is, but I believed her and something was making me feel like we could trust her. 

"How did you know how to get here?" he asked her. 

"They mentioned a prison, said which direction it was in, and said it was a straight shot." 

"This is Hershel," he said, pointing over to him. "Father of the girl who was taken, he'll take care of that," he says, pointing to her leg, which was bleeding more than it was before.

I followed Daryl and dad as they walked back into the cellblock. Hershel had this covered and I needed to find out what the plan was. 

"How do we know we can trust her?" Oscar asked, the rest of the group had gathered around to go over what to do.

"We can trust her," I tell them.

"This is Maggie and Glenn, why are we even debating?" Beth spoke up, the worried tone in her voice clear.

"We ain't," Dare says. "I'll go after them," he tells the group. My head whips around to look at him so fast I think I may have gotten whiplash, my eyes pleading with him not to go.

"Well this place sounds pretty secure, you can't go alone," dad tells him.

"I'll go," I tell them. I wasn't letting Daryl go by himself, and this is Maggie and Glenn we're talking about. They're my friends, my family.

"I'll go too," Beth offers. "Me three," Axel says. 

"I'm in," Oscar says, they've really shown themselves as part of the group the last day or so. 

Dad nodded to everyone, we all separated to start getting ready. 

•••

We started loading up the car, ready to go to Woodbury. Daryl had been giving me weird looks since I said I was going. He probably doesn't want me to go, but I have to.

"I got the flash bangs, I got the tear gas. Never know what you're gonna need," Daryl said, putting the bags in the trunk. I pulled the rifles off my shoulder, placing them in too.

"I think you should stay." Lifting my head, I see Daryl put his winged leather vest on as he spoke. 

"I'm going," I tell him, turning back around, I feel his hand on my shoulder and hear him sigh. "I found ya passed out just this morning, Lee, you need to rest." I turn back to face him, his hand falling from my shoulder. I see the confliction and pain in his eyes. 

"I know you'll be safer here, I cant go through that again," the tears building behind his eyes, he turns his head looking out to the field. 

Sighing, I give in. I've never seen him like this, the pain in his eyes. I don't want to cause any more of that. 

"I'll stay, Dare," I tell him quietly, he looks back to me giving me a small nod. 

"Just come back to me okay?" 

"Promise," he says, the corner of my mouth twitching upwards. I watch him as he digs his hand into his pocket, pulling my necklace out in his hand. 

"My necklace?" 

"Found it when we were looking for ya," he tells me, handing it back to me. 

"Don't you worry about your old man, I'm gonna keep my eye on him." I give him a smile, "Thank you." 

Everyone made their way out of the prison. "Kaylee, Carl," dad called us, handing his bag to Oscar. We all walked down the side of building before stopping and looking at each other, he turned to Carl. 

"What you did for mom-,"

"I had to," Carl cut him off, taking a deep breath. Dad filled me in quickly, with what happened with Lori. Maggie had to deliver the baby by C-section, and Carl had to do the rest. The thought makes my stomach turn, he shouldn't have had to do that. I should have been there like I was meant to, I could have helped.

"I know and I'm sorry," dad says. "No one should have to go through with that." 

Carl sighs, changing the subject. "How long will you be gone?" he looks to both of us.

"Look if something happens while we're gone-," 

"We'll be alright," Carl tells him, I put my arm around carls shoulders pulling him to me. "I'm staying, too," I tell them. 

Dad looks relieved as he gives me a small nod. "If anything happens, you- you get everyone locked in the cells. Keep them all safe."

"We will," I say.

"I know, I know you both will." 

"Take care of your brother and sister, alright?" he tells me, I nod. We start to walk back where everyone's waiting when Carl speaks up causing us to stop. 

"Daryl's been calling her 'ass kicker'." 

"Ass kicker," dad chuckles causing me to let out a small laugh. "I've been thinking, what should we really call her?" Carl says. 

"What do you think?" I ask him. 

"Remember my third grade teacher, Mrs. Mueller?" he asks us, I nod. "Of course," dad says. "Her first name was Judith, do you think that's a good name?"

"I think that's a fine name," dad smiles. "Judith it is," my smile gets bigger.

We walk back over to the cars, Daryl coming out of the prison with his crossbow in hand. 

"Dad," I stop him from getting in the car, I hold my pinkie out to him, he let's out a chuckle. He holds his out and wraps it around mine. "Promise," he says.

"Promise," I repeat, dropping my pinkie and wrapping my arms around his waist. He kisses the top of my head, then lets go. 

I back away from the car, going to stand next to Carl, as Carol passes me Judith in my arms. I rock her slowly as she lets out small cries, she soon calms down, falling back asleep. 

"Stay safe," Daryl whispers, standing next to me. "Nine lives, remember?" I smile. 

"Bring them back," Hershel tells dad, as he climbs into the car with Daryl, Oscar, and Michonne. It took me a while to learn her name but I got it in the end.

We watch the car drive down the dirt track, before Axel opens the main gate, and they drive through, disappearing down the road. 

•••

"How you feeling?" Carol asked stepping into my cell, I'd come up here after sorting through our medical supplies, trying to keep myself distracted, not that it worked. 

"Better," I give her a half smile, turning my head back to looking down at my hands. I feel the bed beside me sink a little, then her hand on my shoulder. 

"He'll be okay," she tells me. I look up at her, there's a look behind her eyes that I can't quite put my finger on. 

"I know, he has Daryl, Michonne, and Oscar with him," I say. Carol just raises her eyebrow at me. 

"Not your dad, Daryl. I know you're worried about him." I go to open my mouth to disagree but no words came out. 

"I see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him, when you both think no ones looking," she smiles. "He's basically my best friend, I know how he feels about you, Kaylee. How broken he was when you were gone." 

"He'll be okay," she says again, I just nod. 

"You can't tell my dad, okay? He can't know," I say, slightly panicked. 

"Why don't you want him to know?" she asks me. I sigh, spinning my necklace around my fingers. 

"I don't want to lose him, I've just got him back in my life and I'm scared, honestly." I sigh again. "Scared about what?" she asks me. "Scared he'll be disappointed, or disown me as his daughter, which I know is crazy thinking, but I just cant help it." 

She wraps her arm around my shoulder, "Kaylee, your dad loves you. When Daryl brought you back and he saw who you were, he was so relieved that he had his baby girl back, I was a little jealous actually. Daryl was out looking for Sophia but found you instead." 

"But I know what happened was meant to happen and she's in a better place now. But your dad, he loves you, and Carl, and Judith, he'd do anything for you. I don't think he'd ever disown you, and I don't think yours and Daryl's relationship will come in-between you. I won't tell him, that's for when you're ready to," she gives me a smile. 

I sit up more, wrapping my arms around her. "Thank you, Carol," I whisper, as she wraps her arms around me. "Anytime." 

"I miss her," I say sadly as tears build up in my eyes. "We didn't see eye to eye on everything, but she was the mom I never had. She took care of me like I was her own." 

Carol pulled away bringing her hand up wiping my tears away. "I didn't get to tell her I loved her or that I was sorry for fighting with her. I should have been there, I could have saved her." I cried more, all of my emotions hitting me at once.

"She knows, she knows how much you loved her and that you were sorry. She loved you so much Kaylee, you were always her daughter and she knew you'd protect Carl and Judith, and be there for your dad, she knew how strong you are." 

She pulled me back into her, wrapping her arms tightly around me as I cried on her shoulder. We sat for a while with Carol just holding me. We must have been sat there longer than I thought because when I finally looked up, the sun had gone down, the sky now dark.

"I have to go take over from Beth on watch," she tells me. I give her a small smile, pulling my arms away, as she gets up walking out of the cell.

I sit there for a while longer, wiping the stray tears off my cheeks before heading downstairs, sitting on the steps next to Carl, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. "You okay dweeb?" He gives me a small nod. I pull my gun out of its holster, refilling the clip with bullets as Carl watches me.

Beth comes in from outside, sitting on the steps below us, as Hershel comes out of one of the cells. 

"Finally got Judith to sleep," Hershel tells us as he makes his way over to us slowly, "How are we doing on formula?" I ask him. 

"We have enough to last us another month," he tells me, I nod. "Me and Kaylee will go for some more at the end of the week," Carl says.

"Your dad and the others will be back by then," Beth tells him. He turns to look at her, shaking his head slightly. "We don't know that," he tells her. "Right now, Judith and Kay are the only family I got," he says with a sigh. I nudge his shoulder with mine, getting his attention. "They'll be back, I know it," I whisper to him. 

Out of nowhere, screams could be heard throughout the prison. "What was that?" Beth asks. I stand up quickly as more screams could be heard. "That was from inside," I tell them, climbing past Beth and down the last few steps. 

"Was it Carol?" Carl asks the slight fear in his voice showing. "She's out keeping watch in the guard tower with Axel," Hershel tells him. "What if they came back in for something? What if they're in trouble?" Beth says, getting more worried. 

"Let's check the tower, see if they're there," Hershel says trying to defuse the situation. Not that it was working as Beth got more worried, "How could anyone else get in?"

"The tombs are filled with walker that wandered in from outside," Hershel tells her, I put my clip back into my gun stepping forward. "Im going," I tell them. 

Hershel holds on of his crutches up in front of me stopping me from walking any further, "I can't let you go down there." 

I just look at him, "My father would go," I tell him simply. He gives in, giving me a small nod putting his crutch back down. "I'm coming with you," Carl says from behind me. "No, I need you to stay here," I tell him. 

He looks at me, pleading with his eyes. I shake my head, "Stay here, remember what dad said?" I ask him, he nods. "Okay, keep them and Judith safe. Lock the gate after me. I have the other set of keys, so I can open it myself. Don't open the gate unless it's the others," I tell him. We walk to the gate, I look down at my not-so baby brother, you can see the worried look in his eyes, it matched dads. Pulling him forward, I lean down and kiss his head. "I'll be back," I tell him, he hands me his torch.

I make my way through the common room, hearing the heavy metal of the gate close and lock behind me. I follow the screams through the tombs, getting louder as I go on. 

Keeping my gun aimed and ready, my hand resting on the other, holding the torch, shining the way through the tombs. Turning corner after corner, never-ending, that's what it felt like. 

Turning one last corner, the screams now clear as day, I come across a small group fighting off walkers. A woman screaming on the floor as a man holds her in his arms. There's blood dripping from her arm, she must have been bit. Looking at the others fighting off the walkers, a woman with a shovel, a tall guy with a hammer, and a younger boy too. 

The woman with the shovel now struggling to keep the walker back. I squint my eyes slightly, firing my gun, the bullet landing straight into the walkers skull. The woman jumped, turning around facing me, the tall dude taking out the walker in front of him, then spinning to look at me, the look of shock plastered all over their faces. 

Everyone's eyes were on me. "Come on," I shout to them. "Hurry." They pull the bitten woman to her feet, picking her up and carrying her bridal style, as they followed me back through the tombs, walkers on our tail, god please don't get lost, Kaylee. 

"Hurry," I yell behind me, now running through the tombs. Looking over my shoulder, seeing them slow down to a stop. Stopping myself, I see the guy carrying the woman now on the floor, walkers growls getting louder. 

"Go, just go!" he yells to us, but the rest of his group weren't having any of it. The tall guy passing his weapon to the younger boy making his way to the fallen people. "Let me take her," he tells him. "I'll cover you," the other woman says, running behind them and swinging her shovel into the closest walkers skull. The tall dude pulling the injured women over his shoulder.

"Look out," someone shouts. Turning quickly, a walker an arms reach away from me, firing my gun straight at its skull. My breathing now getting heavy, that was too close. We had to get out of here and fast. 

"You have to leave her," I tell them regrettably, but we had to get out of here. More walkers getting closer to us. "No way," one of them said and they started moving again, shooting one last walker that was getting too close for comfort. We started running back down the tombs, me leading the way back.

I pushed the gate to common room open as we all run through. Everyone's breathing heavy from running, they move further into the room as I close the gate, pulling the keys off my belt and locking it.

"Oh god," one of them cries. "Donna, is she dead?" They set her down on the ground I walk around them, going to the top of her body, her eyes are open but not moving. Her chest wasn't either, she was dead. The sobs could be heard coming from the man who was holding her as she screamed earlier. He held her hand now, I guess they were together. I feel a slight pain in my chest.

"I'll take care of it," I tell them, pointing my gun to her head. "Woah!" The tall dude said, putting his hand out in front of me, "wait a minute." 

"She doesn't have that long," I tell them, still aiming my gun. I didn't want to do this but it had to be done. 

"Who the hell are you?" the other woman asked, stepping forward. "How the hell did you get in here? Who are you with?" 

"Look, we can help you," I tell them. "But, first things first." 

"No, we take care of our own," the tall dude says, grabbing his hammer back off the younger boy. Kneeling over Donna's body. "No, Tyreese!" the other guy begs, still holding Donna's hand. 

"We gotta do it," Tyreese tells him. "Look, just take Ben and lean against the wall, it'll be quick." He looks at him, unsure, but takes a bandana out of his pocket, leaning over and kissing Donna on her head before placing the bandana over to cover her face. 

He pulls himself to his feet, pulling Ben into his arms, that must be his son. They both bury their heads into each other's shoulders, too afraid to watch. I slowly backed away towards the cellblock gate, unlocking it and going in closing it behind me. Carl and Beth standing next to me with slightly confused looks

"Hey, what are you doing?" the shovel woman asks, as I lock the gate back up.

"Did you just lock us in here?" Tyreese asks me, getting to his feet. "Open the door," the woman says.

"This room is secure, you'll be safe," I tell them. "You'll have food and water." 

Shovel woman walks closer to the gate, wrapping her hands around one of the bars as she breathes heavy, a pissed off look on her face. "Open this door." 

"I can't," I tell her, she sighs. "Oh come on man, we're not animals, don't do this," she begs.

Her eyes drift to Hershel standing in the door to one of the cells as she bangs on the metal gate "Hey, you can't just leave us in here! Open this door!" She shouts as she keeps banging on the gate, "Open it now!"

"Sasha!" Tyreese yells at her. "Back away from the door and let the lady go," he tells her sternly. she looks at him before backing away. 

"Look around you," he tells her, both of them looking around. "This is the best we've had in weeks, her house," he says looking to us. 

"We've got other things to do," he tells her looking back towards Donna then back to us. "We don't want any trouble." I give him a nod, and he takes Sasha's shovel and leads her back over to Ben and his dad. 

"Shouldn't we help them? Beth asks. "I did," I tell her. 

•••

I made my way up the steps towards my cell my head dizzy from running, passing Daryl's mattress on the perch. One of his tops was thrown on the floor, causing me to smile. Bending down and picking it up holding it close to me, it smells like him, and not a disgusting smell either, it smelt like woods, and, well, Daryl. 

I walked into my cell, pulling my T-shirt off and dropping it to the floor, then pulling Daryl's over my head. Feeling instant comfort from it, laying down on my bed, hugging myself as the dark thoughts start to invade my brain. 

My earlier conversation with Carol coming to mind, "He'll be okay" running through my brain on a loop. He'll be okay, I just knew it.


	23. Chapter 23

_Daryl's POV_

We'd been on the road for nearly an hour, maybe less, when Michonne told Rick to pull over. Doing so, we all climbed out of the car. 

"They have patrols, we're better off on foot," she explains. 

"How far? Nights coming?" Rick asks her. "A mile, maybe two," she tells him.

Going to the trunk and pulling my bag out and slinging it on my back, everyone else got their bags ready to go. 

Closing the trunk, heading into the woods, staying off the roads, Oscar and Michonne walking ahead of Rick and me.

Everyone was silent, taking in their surroundings and listening out for any threats. After a while Rick looked up to me, breaking the silence. 

"I know what you did for me, for my baby, while I was working things out. Thank you."

"Its what we do," I tell him, I didn't only do it for him. 

We kept walking, the silence quickly overtaking again, not that I was complaining. We had to be quiet out here, only way you'll hear shit creep up on you. 

Soon enough, walker growls could be heard. "Rick," I whispered getting his attention as I crouched down. "Get down," he whisper yelled to the other two dropping down too.

More walkers, attracted by the first come out of the trees making their way towards us. "Formation," Rick tells us. "No gunfire." He walked forward, swinging his machete into the walkers skull. They just kept coming, as I fired a bolt into one of them.

"Oscar," Rick got his attention, signalling the next one was his. Using his crowbar to take its legs out, making it fall to the ground. He then swung it down on its skull, splitting it. 

We started backing away. "There's too many of 'em," I tell Rick, pulling my knife out looking around us, we were being surrounded.

Rick grabbed the bag on the floor, "this way," he told us, as he started running. We started running after him. "In there," he shouted, pointing to a boarded up cabin, "come on!" 

Running up the few steps and kicking the door open we piled into the cabin. "Get the door," Rick tells Michonne. She slams it close behind her.

"Keep it down." 

The cabin was dark from the boarded windows, only slits of light coming through. 

"What the hell's that smell?" I ask, covering my nose with my arm. It smelt disgusting, worse than rotting walkers. We walked further into the cabin, Rick shining his torch on some dead animal on the ground.

"What the hell is that?" Oscar asks.

"Probably a fox? Or what's left of one?" I guess, stepping closer to get a better look. My guess was wrong, when he shines the light on the dogs face, he must have been dead a while. "Guess Lassie went home." 

The banging on the door getting louder as more walkers piled up trying to get in. 

Rick letting out a quiet noise, getting my attention, he nodded to the double bed. Bundled up blankets and quilts all over. I give him a nod, stepping closer, my knife held high just in case. 

Rick inched closer, slowly reaching out and pulling the quilt back, revealing an older guy with a shotgun. Rick and I jump back when he jumps to his feet. "Who the hell are you?" he aims the shotgun at Rick, Rick holding his hands up in defence. "We don't mean any harm." 

"Get out of my house!" he shouts, stepping forward as he pushes the shotgun more into Rick's face.

I look to him, but he shakes his head, wanting to deal with the crazy dude himself. "Okay we will, but we can't right now," Rick tells him.

"Now!" he shouts, the walkers outside getting more antsy with trying to get in. "Shut him up," Michonne whispers.

"Get out right now!" he continues to shout. 

"There are walkers outside!" Rick tells him, the crazy dude's eyes now bouncing back and forth between us all.

"I'll call the cops," he says frantically.

"I am a cop," Rick says. "Now, I need you to lower the gun." He bends his knee, crouching down, putting his knife to the floor, his hand still in the air as he stands back up. 

"Listen, lets just take this nice and slow, ok?" 

The guy looks like he's ready to blow, his eyes still darting around. "Look at me, hey, hey," Rick says, getting the guys attention back on him, he cocks his shotgun, pointing it directly in Rick's face. "Show me your badge" 

"Alright, its in my pocket," he tells him pointing down at it. "I'm just going to reach down, nice and slow," he starts lowering his arms, the guy watches him, Rick taking the opportunity to knock the shotgun out of his face, a shot going off right beside me as they struggled.

"Let go of me," he cried, the shotgun falling to the floor as Rick puts him in a choke hold. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" 

"Just shut up," Rick tells him, covering his mouth with his hand. Rick lets out a small scream as crazy dude bites his hand getting out of Ricks hold. "Help me," he screams running for the front door. 

"Don't open that door," Oscar says as he runs past Michonne, she unsheathes her katana and just as he gets his hand wrapped around the door handle, she pushes it through his back. 

She pulls it out and crazy dudes body dropped to the floor. Everyone was silent, the only sound coming from the growls and bangs of the walkers. 

I look through the window on the door, more walkers coming towards the cabin.

The wood slats protecting the glass being pulled apart as the walkers desperately tried to get in. 

"Remember the Alamo?" I ask them, Rick giving me a small nod. "Daryl, help me with him." He looks to Michonne, "door," she nods in understanding.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Oscar exclaims, clearly not happy with what we're about to do. 

"He's dead, " Rick tells him. "Just check the back"

We pull crazy guy's body up, as Oscar runs to the back of the cabin. "Its clear," he tells us. 

Rick looks to me, "One, two, three." Michonne pulls the front door open and we push the body out into the walkers as they all huddle around it desperate for a piece of him.

Slamming the door closed and locking it, we all hurry out of the back door running around the cabin and past the walkers as they tore apart the body. 

• • •

By the time we made it just outside the walls of Woodbury, it was dark out. Michonne leading the way, we all ducked behind one of the burnt out cars they had outside the walls.

The walls were made up by sheets of metal and tires. 

Lifting my head slightly, looking at the wall, I see at least three people on the wall. One controlling a big ass light like they're in a lighthouse or something. They're packing heavy with automatics, more people soon joining them. 

I hear movement behind me, turning my head around seeing Michonne get up going back the way we had come. 

"Hey!" Rick whisper yelled, but she didn't stop. 

"Damn it," he said through gritted teeth. 

Rick backed up, crouching behind me, I turn my body to face him, Oscar doing the same. "Alright, we need to downsize," he tells us. We nod, pulling the weapons off our shoulders and the bags off our backs.

"Ain't no way we're checking in all them buildings," I point out. "Not with all them guards there."

We hear rustling come behind us, we all turn around quickly, our weapons raised. Michonne comes out from behind the tree, "This way," she whispered, pointing with her fingers the direction we needed to go in. 

Rick nods to us. "Alright, lets go." He gets to his feet, following her. I grab my bag and crossbow, following Michonne and Rick.

We follow her around the walls behind one of the buildings, these people didn't really think about people getting in. 

We ducked under a doorway that was half boarded up, the door wide open, Oscar closing it behind him. The room was dark, only light coming from the moon through the slits in the curtains, from what I could make out it was a food storage.

"This is where you were held?" Rick asked Michonne. "I was questioned," she corrected him. 

"Any idea where else they could be?" 

I make my way to the front of the building, pulling the curtain back lightly and looking out. People were walking along the street like it was the most normal thing to do. "I thought you said there was a curfew?" I asked her.

"The street is packed during the day, those are stragglers." 

"Anyone comes in here, we're sitting ducks," Rick informed us, "we gotta move."

"They could be in his apartment," Michonne suggested, apartment? These people really were living in the old days.

"Yeah? What if they ain't?" I ask her, we needed to find them and get the hell outta suburban street .

"Then we'll look somewhere else," she says through gritted teeth. "You said you could help us," Rick said, getting to his last nerve. 

"I'm doing what I can," she tells him. "Then where the hell are they?" Oscar asked. 

Rick nodded me over as he walked to the back of the room, following him Oscar right behind me. 

"If this goes south we're cutting her loose," Rick tells us. 

"You think she's leading us into a trap?" Oscar asks him. "Right now its the blind leading the blind," I scoff. 

"We'll split up," I tell Rick, he nods just as there's a knock on the door, all of our heads turn to look at it. 

I pull Rick and Oscar behind the curtain out of sight, Michonne quickly made her way back to us, as the door unlocks someone coming in closing the door behind them. "I know you're in here" an older guy said, "I saw you moving from outside."

His footsteps getting closer to the back of the room. "Alright now, You're not supposed to be in here and you know it."

"Who's in here?" His voice now raised as he walked closer towards us. Just as he got to the curtain, Rick stepped out, pushing him against the wall, his arm over his neck holding him there as he pointed his gun in his face. Standing beside him I hold my crossbow up. 

"Shut up" he said through gritted teeth. "Get on your knees," he pushed him down by his shoulders. "Hands behind your back" 

"Zip tie him" he tells me. I pull a zip ties from my bag. Holding his hands behind his back, I slip them over them, tightening them.

"Where are our people?" Rick asked him, shoving his gun further into his face. "I dunno," he trembled. 

"You are holding some of our people, where the hell are they?" Rick asked again, grabbing him by his collar. 

"I don't know," he said again. Rick looked up to me before back to him. "Open your mouth," he told him before shoving a rag into it. 

He tried to scream but they just came out muffled, Rick gives me a small nod I bring my crossbow down hitting him across the head, knocking him out. Oscar dragged his body behind the curtain, out of sight from the front of the building.

"Alright, let's find Glenn and Maggie and get the hell out of here," Rick tells us, as we hear gunshots ring from outside. 

I pull one of the curtains, back seeing people run towards the gunfire and the fence. "We gotta move now, that could be them," I tell Rick, he nods, agreeing, I pull my crossbow over my shoulder and back picking up on of the rifles. 

Rick slowly opens the door, looking out to make sure we were clear before looking back, giving us the go ahead. We follow Rick down the street, our weapons ready, looking ahead seeing people with guns going into a makeshift building. Nudging Rick and nodding my head to the people up ahead, we follow them. 

Opening the side door to the building, we make our way in, Rick leading the way, stopping us before we hit the corner. The walls were made of corrugated sheets, looks like they made this building to hold people. They had to be here.

We all crouch down under a small plastic window, muffled voices could be heard. Leaning up slightly seeing if I could see through the window, the voices got louder, "on your feet." 

"Move," I crouched back down. "Lets go, come on." 

"Shit," Rick muttered. I reached into one of the bags pulling out the flash bangs, I knew these would come in handy. Passing one to Rick, we pull the pins, throw them around the corner of the window while we take cover. They go off just as they walk out of the room.

A thick cloud of white smoke now covering us, we move forward, weapons raised and ready. Peeking around the corner, I can see someone ducking back into the room where they were being held. 

The smoke quickly starting to clear, while they were coughing up their lungs, Rick grabbed Glenn. Spotting Maggie with a bag over her head, I grabbed her arm, pulling her back just as gun shots went off. 

Quickly pulling the bag off her head and passing her to Oscar, we run out of the building as we kept getting shot at.

Running down the street, Glenn clung on to Rick to stay standing, he had obviously been beaten, he had no shirt on. We weren't safe on the street, we had to get off it, and quickly. 

"In here." Rick motioned to the building, quickly kicking the door open, everyone piling in. Glenn falls to the floor, Maggie sliding down next to him. I run to the back trying to find a way out. Shit, nothing.

"Rick, 'aint no way out back here," I tell him, going back over to them. 

"Rick, how did you find us?" Maggie asked him, to which he ignored asking Glenn, "How bad are you hurt?" 

"We'll be alright," he tells him, noticeably in pain. 

"Where's that woman?" Maggie asked, looking around. "She was right here," Rick says looking around himself, ducking down to pull the sheet covering the window back to look into the street.

"Maybe she was spying?" Oscar suggested. "Can we go look for her?" 

"No, we gotta get them outta here," he tells him, pointing to Glenn and Maggie. "She's on her own." 

"Daryl," Glenn says, getting my attention as Maggie wrapped a jacket around his body. "This was Merle." My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. Merle? He was here?

"He was- He did this," he said, I just looked at him, shocked.

"You saw him?" Rick asked.

"Face to face," Glenn nodded. "He threw a walker at me, he was gonna execute us," he said as I walked closer to him.

"My brother's this governor?" 

"No," Maggie shook her head. "He's somebody else, your brother's his lieutenant or something." 

"Does he know I'm still with you?" I ask her, still in shock my brother did this to them? 

"He does now," Glenn told us. "Rick, I'm sorry, we told them where the prison was, we couldn't hold out." 

"No," Rick says patting his shoulder. "No need to apologise." He gets back to his feet, going back to look out the window.

"They're going to be looking for us," Maggie tells us.

"We have to get back," Rick tells us. "Can you walk?" he asks Glenn. "We've got a car a few miles out." 

"I'm good," he tells him, Rick and Maggie helping him to his feet, I shake my head. My brother was alive and here. "Hey, if Merle's alive, I have to see him," I tell them.

"Not now, we're in hostile territory," Rick tells me, I shake my head again. This was my brother, my blood. 

"He's my brother, I aint got-" I say but rick cuts me off. "Look what he did," he says through gritted teeth. "Look, we gotta get outta here, now." 

"Maybe I can talk to him and work something out," I tell him, I couldn't leave him again. 

"No, no, no, you're not thinking straight," he tells me placing his hand on my shoulder. "Look no matter what they say, they're hurt. Glenn can barely walk."

"How are we supposed to get out if we get overrun by walkers? Or this governor catches up to us? I need you!" he says more loudly.

"Are you with me?" he asks. I nod, "yeah." 

• • •

"One, two, three," Rick says before opening the door. As he does, I throw another flash bang and then another, covering the street in white smoke.

Shouting could be heard in the distance, but trying to stay focused on what we had to do, Rick was right. We had to get Glenn and Maggie out of here, but I still needed to see my brother.

"Let's go," Rick tells us. We file out of the building and down the street to the closest walls. "There they are!" someone shouts before the gun shots start going off.

What looked like two school busses pushed together to reinforce this side of the wall, had two people on top shooting down at us. Stopping, we shoot back. 

Shooting one of the people on the bus they fall off backwards, his friend falling not long behind him after being shot by Rick. 

More gunshots were being fired. I turn around, seeing more people firing at us. "Behind you!" I shout to the others, firing my rifle.

"Go take cover!" Rick shouts to Maggie and Glenn, covering them as they run behind us. "In there." 

"Go, go, go!" We run to the building next to us, the door locked, as we duck down behind the small wall, blocking us from their view.

"How many?" Rick asked Oscar. "I didn't see," he tells him.

Pulling the empty magazine out of my rifle, grabbing the spare from my pocket reloading my weapon. "Doesn't matter," I tell them. "There's gonna be more of 'em." I grab another rifle, making sure its loaded and hand it to Glenn. 

"We need to move," I tell them.

"Any grenades left?" Rick asks me. I nod "Uh-huh." 

"Get them ready," he tells me. "We're gonna gun it to the wall," he tells the others as I pull the grenade from the bag. Bullets hitting the walls beside us, as Maggie turned the corner to fire back at them, quickly ducking back behind the wall. 

"You guys go ahead, I'll lay down some cover fire," I tell them. Maggie shakes her head, "No, we have to stay together."

"Its too hairy, I'll be right behind ya." I didn't give them another second to disagree. Standing to my feet, "Ready," I tell them, before throwing the grenade into the street. 

"Now!" Maggie says as I start firing my rifle, aiming for the pricks ducked behind the metal bench across the street. 

"Let's get outta here," I hear Oscar say. He, Maggie, and Glenn head for the bus as Rick and I cover them. "Keep going," Rick shouts to them.

"Rick!" Maggie shouts. "Rick, Rick!" Turning my head quickly, I see Oscar on the ground, not moving. Shit! Maggie aims her gun to his head before looking away and firing it.

Turning back to the gunfire, I cover Rick as he makes his way to the bus.

"Daryl!" Rick shouts. "Go on," I tell him, quickly changing out my empty magazine for a fresh one. 

Slowly backing up to the bus and wall as I kept firing my rifle. We were nearly clear, nearly. 

I feel something smash in the back of my head from behind and I fall to my knees, then flat on my face before everything goes dark. 

• • •

Waking up by someone pulling me to my knees, a bag over my head and hands tied behind my back. Shit. 

They pulled me to my feet, pushing me forward to walk. Struggling trying to get out of the ties around my wrists, and out of these bozos hold on me. The more steps I took, the louder I could hear someone talking, the sound of their voice muffled but getting clearer the closer I got. 

The voice trailed on, followed by cheers. 

"It was you!" 

"You lied, betrayed us all." 

"This is one of the terrorists," the arms holding me dropped, light now shining through the small holes in the bag. 

Another hand grabbing my arm and pulling the bag off my head as he spoke. "Merle's own brother." Squinting my eyes to adjust to the light, looking around to what looked like make-shift arena, people sitting in the stands, all of their eyes on me. My eyes going wide when they land on a familiar face, Andrea? Shit, she was alive and she was here?

Turning my head, my eyes landing on my older brother, he was really here. A metal sleeve attached to his stump and a band aid covering his nose. His eyes wide as he looked at me. 

"What shall we do to them, huh?" the guy spoke again, he had a bandage covering his eye a serious pissed off look on his face. This had to be the governor. 

"Kill them," people shout from the crowd. 

"What do you want?" he asked them again, more and more started to shout "kill them" as they stood to their feet. 

"You wanted your brother," the governor said, getting in Merle's face. "Now you've got him," he said smugly. "Kill them." 

"Kill them both!" the crowd kept chanting, now standing to their feet surrounding us. 

My heart was racing in my chest, the governor walking around me and Merle, not taking his eye off us. I was breathing heavily, my eyes darting from Merle, to the crowd, to Andrea, then to the ground, wondering what the hell they were going to do to us. 

I watched as Andrea pushed herself to the front of the crowd trying to get close to the governor, only to be held back by one of his men. 

"Let me go," she told them, one of his other men getting in her face. "Stay out of it," he told her. She looked to the governor, "Philip." That was his actual name then, Philip. 

"He's my friend," she told him, still trying to get free from the hold she was in. "It's not up to me anymore," he said. "The people have spoken," he said, looking at her. 

"What?" she asked him, confused, as she stopped fighting. 

"I asked you where your loyalties lie, you said here," he said, turning and pointing to Merle, as someone came and cut the ties from my wrist. 

"Well prove it, prove it to all of us," he tells him. "Brother against brother," he says, getting a couple of "yeah's" from the crowd. "The winner goes free," he tells us. I turn to look at Merle as the crowd shouts again. 

"Fight to the death," he says a bit louder, walking past us and out of the circle, the crowd had formed as they cheer.

"Philip, please, please don't do this," Andrea begged, which the governor ignored. 

I looked to Merle again, a glint in his eye I couldn't read. Was he really going to do this? Fight me till he killed me? I couldn't and won't kill him, not blood. I couldn't let him kill me either, not when I made a promise. 

He turned to the crowed before raising one of his arms, "Y'all know me," they cheered as he continued turning back to face me. "I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to prove-" he stopped before punching me in the stomach. I stumble, falling to the ground, grunting in pain.

"That my loyalties to this town-" he stops again, kicking me in the face causing me to roll over to my back, now panting as the pain seared through me. 

The crowd kept cheering as he kneeled to the ground to continue punching me, with his fist and metal stump. My mind started getting hazy and black spots appeared in my eyes. Kicking me once more, I rolled my body, shaking my head clear, when Merle leans down to punch me again. I quickly push my body up, landing a fist to his face, knocking him back. 

Getting back to my feet the same time Merle does, looking around and seeing walkers on poles being held around us. 

Swinging and missing, Merle pushes me to the floor, landing on my back. He kneels down and places his hand around my throat. I reach my hands up, warping them around his throat, I start squeezing, I'll be damned if I was dying tonight. 

"Really think this asshole going to let you live?" I spat at him. "Just follow my lead little brother," he said through gritted teeth. "We're getting out of this right now," he told me. 

He let go of my throat. Grabbing my shirt instead, pulling me up to my feet. Dropping my hands from his throat, we stand back to back, surrounded by walkers and people pushing them on the poles closer to us. 

Both of our fists up, ready to fight our way out of here. Pushing them back when they got closer, their handlers wouldn't back down, pushing them closer and closer to us, using my fist to punch them then push them away. Merle using his metal arm to punch them away.

As one was getting closer to me, pushing it away only for it to get keep grabbing at me, a shot was fired, going straight through the walkers skull, blood spraying out as the walker went limp and fell to the ground. 

The crowd was now in a panic as more gunshots went off, bullets hitting not just the walkers but anyone holding a gun. As the rest try to flee, panic setting in, a flash bang was thrown into the arena, thank you Rick.

This was it, we had to go and now. "Merle, let's go, come on, " I told him as we started running in the direction the shots came from. Seeing the asshole with my crossbow, trying to reload it. I quickly snatch it out of his hands and swing it into his chin, knocking him out. 

We kept running seeing, Maggie and Rick up ahead. Once they spot us, they turn and make a run for the wall coming up next to the busses. 

"They're all at the arena," Merle tells them, "this way." 

"You're not going anywhere with us," Rick tells him sternly. "You really wanna do this now?" Merle asks him as he pulls at the metal sheets of the wall. Finally getting it open, I pull on Rick's shoulder. "Come on, man, we gotta go." 

Stepping through the wall, Merle kneeling on the road in front bashing his stump into a walkers skull turning to us, "A little help would be nice." 

Shooting the other walkers Merle shouts at us all, "We haven't got time for this." Before running up the street, looking to Rick and Maggie, "Lets go." We start running up the road and away from Woodbury. 

• • •

The sun had now risen as we walked through the woods back to the car, Rick in front of us. 

Getting closer he called out to Glenn. "Oh, thank God." Glenn sighed in relief as he and Michonne came in to view.

"Now we gotta problem here, I need you to back up," Rick tells them as Michonne takes her katana out and Glenn raises his gun.

"What the hell is he doing here" he screams, pointing his gun at Merle. Michonne stepping forward to him as Rick gets in her way. Everyone was shouting, "He tried to kill me!" Michonne shouted. "Drop the sword," Rick told her.

As I stood in front of Glenn, "if it wasn't for him-" he shouted but I cut him off. "No, he helped us out of there," I told him.

"Yeah, right after he beat the shit out of you!" Rick shouted, standing next to me, his gun raised and pointed at him, Michonne still stood in between them both. 

"Hey, we both took our hits man," Merle said from behind us. "Jackass," I mumbled. 

"Hey, shut up," Merle told me, before Rick turned around to him. "Enough!" he shouted, Michonne stepping closer to Merle, point her sword in his face.

"hey, hey," Rick said trying to get to back up. 

"You gonna cut me?" Merle said, holding his arms up I surrender. "Relax," I tell him, as Glenn steps forward, his gun still held high. "Get that thing outta my face," I tell him, causing Merle to chuckle from behind me.

"Man," he laughs, "looks like you've gone native, brother." Turning to face him, a smug look over his face, taking a step closer and getting in his face. "Not more than you hanging out with that psycho back there," he leaned against a tree. 

"Oh yeah man, he is a charmer I gotta tell you that. Been putting the wood to your girlfriend Andrea, big time baby," he said to Michonne, pushing himself of the tree. 

Glenn drops his gun, looking between Merle and Michonne. "Andrea's in Woodbury?" he asked in disbelief.

I nod, "right next to the governor," I tell them.

Michonne takes a step forward again bringing her sword back up, Rick steps in her way, "I told you to drop that." 

"You know Andrea?" he asks her, she keeps looking back and forth not answering his question. "I said, do you know Andrea?" he asked again, more sternly.

"Yep she does," Merle answered for her. "Her and blondie spent all of winter cuddling up to each other." 

"She had two pet walkers, no arms, cut off jaws, kept them on chains," Merle told us, laughing. "Kind of ironic now I think about it." 

I turn to him snapping, "shut up, bro." 

"We picked 'em up in the woods, Andrea was close to dying."

"There's no way she's with him," Maggie said. Michonne nodded slightly. 

"Snug as two little bugs," Merle kept on. "So whatcha gonna do now, sheriff?" he looked to Rick. "Surrounded by a bunch of liars, cowards, and thugs" 

"Shut up," Rick said, turning to him for only a second.

"Oh man look at this, pathetic," he said, not letting it up. "All these guns and no bullet in me, pathetic," he said again.

"You better shut up," I said getting in his face more. "Shut up yourself," he shouted, "Bunch of pussies, you-" but Rick cut him off hitting him in the back of his head with the butt of his gun. 

Glenn walked away back to the car without saying another word. The others following him shortly after, looking to Merle laying on the ground. Sighing, I follow them to the car. 

Michonne was leaning against the car as the rest of us stood in the middle of the road, talking about what to do with Merle.

"It won't work," Rick tells me, after suggesting we bring him back with us. "It's gotta," I tell him,

"It'll stir things up," he said simply.

"Look, the governor probably already on his way to the prison right now," I tell him. "Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle." 

"I'm not having him at the prison," Maggie said. 

"Do you really want him sleeping in the same cell block as Carol, Beth? or Kaylee?" he says looking at me, my fist immediately clenching, my nails digging into the palms of my hands. "He ain't a rapist," I tell them with a scoff, Merle's a lot of thing but a rapist is far from it.

"Well, his buddy is," he says, Maggie's eyes going wide as she looks at him. 

"They aint buddies anymore," I tell them. "Not after last night."

"There's no way Merle's gonna live there without putting everyone at each other's throats," Rick says, his voice more calm now.

"So you're gonna cut Merle loose and bring the last samurai home with us?" I ask him, "She's not coming back," he tells me.

"She's not in a state to be on her own," Maggie says. "She did bring you guys to us," Glenn said.

"And then ditched us," Rick reminded him. "At least let my dad or Kay stitch her up," Maggie suggests.

Rick shakes his head, "She's too unpredictable." 

"That's right we don't know who she is," I add on. "Merle, Merle's blood."

"No," Glenn says, "Merle is your blood. My blood, my family, is right here and waiting for us back at the prison." 

"And you're part of that family," Rick tells me. "And he's not." 

"Fine," I say. "We'll fend for ourselves," I tell them. Glenn steps forward to me. "That's not what I'm saying." 

"No him, no me," I put it simply. "Daryl, you don't have to do that," Maggie says to me.

"It was always Merle and I before all this," I shrugged. "Are you serious?" Glenn asked. "Youre just gonna leave like that?" 

"You'd do the same thing," I tell him.

"What do you want us to tell Carol and everyone?" he asks, Maggie's eyes go into a glare as she looks at me. I know what she want to say, I know what she'll try and do to get me to come back.

"She'll understand." 

I look at them before walking past them, "say bye to your pop for me," I tell Maggie, I start walking back to the car, as they called me from behind.

"Hey there's gotta be another way," Rick says, catching up to me, stopping and looking at him. "Don't ask me to leave him."

"I already did that once," I said, as I kept walking. "We started something last night, you realise that right?" 

"What can I say? No him, no me." I open the trunk of the car, pulling one of the bags to me, getting it ready.

"You take care of yourself," I tell him. "Take care of little ass kicker," I smiled. "Carl and Kaylee, they're tough." I grab the bag pulling it over my shoulder, giving one last nod to Rick before walking to Merle, not before Maggie stops me half way.

"What about her?" she ask me, no need to explain who, we both knew. "She'll understand," I tell her, trying to step to the side to walk around her, but Maggie stepped with me, continuing to block the way.

"Will she?" 

"Yeah she will, she'll get it," I said, more frustrated. The thought of Kaylee running through my head. Would she get it? Or would she hate me for the rest of her life? The thought of never seeing her again was killing me, but the thought of leaving Merle again did the same. My head and heart having a inner battle on what I had to do, and I had to do this. 

"Just-" I sigh, leaning in close, whispering in her ear. I pull back, a confused look on her face. "What?" 

"Just- just tell her please?" I said sadly. Maggie's face mirrored mine, going from annoyed to sad. "I tell her," she tells me with a slight nod before walking back to the car. 

Walking closer to Merle, he put his arm around me as we go back into the woods, looking back at the sad faces at the car. Turning quickly at the thought of Lee's face when Maggie tells her. 

This was right it had to be, my head kept telling me that the longer we walked, Kaylee's face never leaving my mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a kudos or a comment let me know what you think!


	24. Chapter 24

Laying on my bed, my eyes still wide open. Sleep was something that wasn't going to happen tonight, not without knowing everyone was safe, that he was safe. 

Giving in, I swing my legs off the bed. Looking down as my boots hit the floor, wondering if I'll ever be able to go back to sleeping with my boots off without the fear of having to run in the middle of the night. 

Running my hand through my hair with a sigh before standing to my feet, tying Daryl's top to the side, putting my jacket back on, as I walk out my cell, past Daryl's bed, and down the steps, heading for the gate. I'm hoping the fresh air will help clear my mind. 

Light snores come from the cells as I walk by, I come to a stop outside of Carl's. The corner of my mouth tugging up into a smile as I look at my brother sprawled out in the small bed, fast asleep. 

The memory of waking up and Carl had crawled his way into my bed every night I was home from college flashes into my mind.

I was pulled from my thought as small cries echoed through the cellblock. Walking to the cell Judith was in with Hershel and Beth, Hershel was slowly rising from his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I got her," I whisper to him, he looks up slightly confused before giving me a small nod before he laid back down. I make my way to Judith's make shift bed, which was really only a box with a few blankets, she was awake and flailing her arms and legs around as she let out small cries. 

Picking her up with her blanket wrapped around her, I held her close, rocking her gently. Taking the premade bottle and walking out of the cell into the one next to it, Maggie's. 

Sitting on the bed, gently resting Judith in my arms as I offered her bottle, watching her as she latched onto it.

Soon enough she fell asleep in my arms as I sung to her quietly. Being around her made the dark thoughts fade away, the picture of innocence in my arms. 

I stayed like that till the sun started to rise, everyone slowly waking up for the day, before long Judith bright eyes opened staring up at me. 

"Morning, Judith," I smiled, holding her close to me. 

"Oh, do you want me to take her?" Beth asks me standing in the door way, I shake my head. "It's okay, I could use the cuddles." I smile, sitting down on the bed with her, changing her ready for the day.

I sat on the bed just rocking her in my arms as I hum softly to her. Carl smiled at me as he passed the cell going to the common room. Everyone was up by now.

Soon enough Judith let out a small cry. "Okay, I think its time to get you fed." I smile down at her, standing up, Carl opened the gate for me as I walked in. Tyreese and Sasha's eyes were on me, both standing up as I walked past them going over to the formula.

"How old is the baby?" Sasha asks. "Barely a week," Hershel answers her.

I start to make her bottle up while holding her in my arms, footsteps getting closer to me. "To be honest, we never thought we'd see another baby," Sasha says, coming to stand at my side, looking down at Judith.

"Beautiful," she smiles. "Thanks," I give her a half smile back.

"How are you feeling?" she asks me, her voice full of concern. I stop with the bottle and look at her properly. "Oh, she's my sister," I tell her.

She turns to face everyone else as she asks "Where's her mother?" no one said a word, but that said enough to her. "I'm sorry."

"Man you people have been through the mill," Tyreese says, a sad tone lacing his voice. Picking up her bottle and walking back to the cell block entrance, Hershel says behind me, "Haven't we all?" 

Pushing the gate open, walking back into the cell block, Beth right behind me, as Hershel stayed behind to talk to the others. The voices carry through the walls, making some of what they were saying more clear. 

"We'll make sure she'll get a proper burial," I hear Hershel tell them, as I step into his cell to feed Judith. 

Sasha's response wasn't clear as they went into conversation, before long I hear Hershel tell them, "like I said we have a much bigger group, a close knit group." 

"I wouldn't get to comfortable here," he tells them, then the tapping of his crutches as he made his way into the cell block, "We wouldn't be a problem," Tyreese says, his voice louder than before.

"Its not up to me," Hershel says simply, the gate banging behind him before the click of the lock.

Hershel and Carl walk to the cell, Carl giving me a goofy smile as he jumps on the bed next to me. "Careful," I tell him, to which he rolls his eyes. Judith quickly finishes her bottle. Carl reaches forward, taking her out of my arms. 

Turning to Hershel, "What did they tell you?" I ask him, wanting to know what we were dealing with.

"Nothing much," he tells me. "Tyreese and his sister, Sasha, were hid out in a bunker for a while before running out of food and leaving."

"They met Ben and Allen on the road, had a small group that got overrun a few months back," Carl added, I nod to them. 

"Dad will decide when he gets back, but we keep them out of the cellblock," I tell them, Hershel nods in approval. "I told them they could bury their friend in the field," he tells me.

"I'll go see if they need help," I say standing and walking out of the cell. Hershel's hand on my shoulder stops me. Looking up and seeing worry in his eyes, "Let me check that head of yours."

I go to argue but Hershel shakes his head, guiding me into the other cells, I sit on the bed as Hershel unwraps the bandage from around my head, shining a torch onto my stitches. 

"They look good, not infected," he tells me, I sigh. "I coulda told you that," I say, turning my head to look at him with a slight laugh, but the look on his face is unamused. 

"Did you sleep at all last night?" he asks me, I give him my best fake smile before answering, "a few hours." 

He raises his eyebrows at me. "Kaylee, you know what sleep deprivation can do more than anyone, you're smart so you know you need your rest." 

"I'm fine, Hershel," I say, blankly standing back up. "You're a doctor Kaylee-"

I interrupt him, "half doctor, at most." 

I hear him sigh from behind me. "You and I both know you're as good as any doctor, just don't run yourself down, okay?" 

"Okay." I turn my head to look at him, giving him a smile, a real one this time, before walking out of the cell and cellblock. Noticing how the new people had already made their way outside, I grab two shovels off the table.

Making my way out there, I cant help but think of how much Hershel reminded me of my grandpa, always protective, smart, and kind. 

When I step outside, the sun shines brightly into my eyes, pulling my hand up to shield them. Seeing Tyreese and Allen argue in the middle of the court yard. 

Taking big strides over to them, Allen shutting his mouth as soon as he saw me, Tyreese smiling at me. "Everything okay?" I ask them.

"We're good," Sasha says, I look to Allen, his eyes still pinned to the floor, looking at the body laying on it. 

"Did you want any help?" 

"No, we got it," Tyreese answers, taking the shovels off me. I give him a small smile. "You can bury her next to the others if you want," I tell him.

"We appreciate that." I smile again, "Let me know if you need anything else," I say before turning around and heading back inside.

My head starting to get dizzy, when Carl runs up to me. "Judith's sleeping, Hershel's with her, I'm going to help Carol on watch and wait for dad to get back." 

"Okay bud," I tell him, carrying on walking into the cellblock, poking my head into the cell where Beth and Hershel were. 

"Everyone good?" I ask them, Beth nods as Hershel answers, "everyone's good, Axel's taking intake of the food we have," he tells me.

"Okay, I'll make a start on the weapons. " 

Hershel shakes his head, "We can do that, you go rest," he tells me, to which I shake my head. 

"Hershel, really, I'm fine." 

"You're not fine, just rest. You don't have to sleep." I sigh, giving in. My head pounding too much to try and fight back. 

"Okay," I say heading into Maggie's cell. Laying on the bed, staring up to the top bunk, trying to get my mind to relax. 

Sighing, I grab one of the books Maggie has on her nightstand and start to read to distract my mind. 

• • •

The sound of voices broke my concentration on the book, pulling it away from my face to see what was going on. 

The cellblock gate opening and closing again, swinging my legs around till my feet hit the floor. I put the book back. 

"Kaylee?" I whip my head around to the voice, Maggie. Standing in the door way to her cell. Pulling myself to my feet I practically throw myself into Maggie's arms. 

"Maggie, " I smile wrapping my arms around her. 

I pull away slightly, both of us still holding onto to each others arms. "You're okay," I smile, looking behind her seeing Glenn being helped into Hershel's cell, his face all bloodied and bruised. 

But that was all I saw, no Daryl, no dad. Looking back to Maggie, her eyes darted to the floor. 

"Maggie?" I said slowly. 

"Your dad's outside with Carol and Carl," she tells me, I slowly nod. 

"We lost Oscar," she says sadly. 

"Maggie, where is he?" The panic in my voice could be heard. Maggie lifts her head to look at me, the sadness in her eyes clearer now.

"Please, don't-" I start to panic, taking a step back, out of reach from Maggie. "He's okay, Kay," she tells me, but I know that wasn't the whole story. 

"Merle was there," she sighed, my eyes went wide as I looked her, slowly putting the pieces together of what happened. 

"He's gone Kaylee, he left with him," she tells me, stepping closer to put her arm around me. I shook my head 'no'. This couldn't be real. 

"N-no, he said he'd be back." My chest tightens, feeling like someone has their fist wrapped around my heart and is starting to squeeze. "He promised." 

"He told me to tell you-" she sighed, looking to the ground, then back up to me, taking one of my hands into hers. "He said he was sorry and till the last star." My breath caught

as the words came from Maggie's mouth.

I stared at her till a slight laugh falls from my lips, among the tears that made their way down my cheeks. Maggie looks at me confused, unsure of how or what I'm doing. 

"He left, he actually left?" I ask her, not that I needed to be told again, she nodded sadly. "He left me," I say as my voice breaks and my knees crumble below me, giving up on holding my body up as I fall to my knees, my hand still wrapped in Maggie's. Tears freely flowing down my face. 

Maggie pulls me to my feet, and over to the bed were we both lay down, putting her arms around me as she let me cry. He was actually gone. 

•••

"He had Daryl and Merle pitted against each other." Maggie continues to tell me what happened in Woodbury. What Merle did to Glenn to get answers out of him, what the governor nearly did to Maggie. 

"The crowd was cheering for them to fight to the death." My breath caught at the thought of Daryl fighting for his life against his brother. Closing my eyes and turning my head away, I try to fight the thought out of my head before it took over. 

"Andrea was there too," Maggie said in a hushed tone, I barely heard her. My head turning to face her, my eyes snapping open. "What did you say?" I asked her calmly. 

"Andrea was there, she's alive. She didn't die back on the farm, " she told me a little louder, a small smile on her lips. 

I sighed in relief, Andrea had survived the farm being overrun all those months ago. 

"What was she doing in Woodbury?" 

It was Maggie's turn to sigh, "Merle told us she was with Michonne over the winter, Woodbury found them not long after that. Now Andrea's getting close with the governor," she tells me. 

I grimaced at the thought of Andrea getting any kind of close with someone that did that to Glenn and Maggie, they were her friends. She must not have known, she was one of us, still is. 

"This thing with the governor's not gonna go away, he doesn't seem the type to let this go," I sigh, to which Maggie nods in agreement.

The silence took over, not before Judith's cries take over. Lifting my head off the pillow, I see Carol walk in with Judith in her arms, a sad look on her face. 

Maggie and I both sat up, making room for Carol to sit down, Judith's cries now bouncing of the four walls of the small cell. 

"Sophia used to wake the neighbours," she told us, a sad smile playing on her lips. "3am, like clockwork." 

"Ed stayed at a friends most nights 'til she calmed down." I look into her eyes, a speck of sadness on the side of the anger. I knew who Ed was and what he did, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. 

"I wanted kids. Well, I thought I might have wanted them," I said quietly, not sure if anyone even heard, looking down to Judith and running my finger down her soft cheek.

"She wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Daryl," Maggie said softly. "He couldn't stand to loose anyone else," she added on looking up to me. I feel my eyes start to fill with tears once again.

"Sounds like him," I said bluntly, keeping my eyes down. 

"I don't get why he had to leave," Beth says, standing in the doorway. "Merle sounds like a dick."

Carol sighed, "Men like Merle, they get in your head, make you feel like you deserve the abuse" 

"Even for Daryl?" Beth asked her. I felt my body stiffen and Maggie must have noticed as she put her hand on my shoulder to relax me, not that it would.

"I'm hardly the women I was a year ago," Carol starts, "but if Ed walked through that door right now, breathing, and told me to go with him, I like to think I'd tell him to go to hell." 

"You would," I whisper to her, she looks down to me giving me small smile.

"I'm pissed at him for leaving," Beth says. Turning to look at her before I can get the words out of my mouth, Carol beats me to it. 

"Don't be," she says simply. "He's a man of code, we need more men like that in this world." 

"But he left, when we need him here," Beth says more upset. Standing to my feet unable to listen anymore, I walked out of the cell, slightly knocking into Beth on the way passed. 

I see dad walking through the main gate, Carl closing it behind him. "Dad," I sighed in relief, practically running into his arms. He wrapped his around me tightly, holding me close. 

He pulled away slightly resting his hands on my shoulders. "How's your head feeling?" he asked me. 

I chuckled slightly. "In one piece, I'm good." He smiles at me, pulling away. 

"Hershel's taking a look at Glenn, can you take a look at Michonne? See when we can get her on her way," he asked me.

Raising my eyebrow at him with a slight shake of my head I ask, "What's your deal with her?" 

"She a threat being here." 

"She helped us dad, she's not a threat." 

I go to the cell. Someone placed a passed- out Michonne on the bottom bunk of the beds.

Sinking to my knees beside the bed, placing two fingers on her wrist and two on her neck checking her pulse. 

"She's been out for a while," dad says standing in the door way, I turn my head to face him. "Must have been days since she last slept," I tell him. Turning back to Michonne, seeing she had ripped her stitches open on her leg. 

Standing back to my feet, turning and looking at our medical supply before grabbing a needle and thread. 

Pulling over a stool to the side of the bed, I sit down as I start threading the needle, turning to dad who watches me intently. 

"You look shot too, you know." 

"How long before she can travel?" he asks me, ignoring me outright. Rolling my eyes turning back to Michonne, I start stitching her leg. "Have to keep an eye one her, she has a concussion," I tell him. "Couple of days, if she's awake and up." 

He nods, his eyes are bloodshot. He looked worn down not the same since Lori died. According to Hershel, after lori died, he thought I was dead too, he lost it. Leaving Carl, not even looking at Judith, just ran into the prison. I don't know what happened after that, but I can see the pain in his eyes still. 

Quickly finishing the stitches up, standing back to my feet, dad waiting for me to leave the cell before closing the cell door behind me locking it. I give him a confused look, which he responded, "no chances."

We walked toward Carol who was trying to give some comfort to Axel. "Whenever Thomas went off, Oscar always stood for me, you know?" Carol nods. "He was my friend," he tells us as we approach him. 

"He went out fighting," dad tells him.

The cell block was more quiet than normal, everyone on edge after everything that has happened. Not knowing what's coming next even more now.

"So what now?" Beth asks. "Do you think the governor will retaliate?"

"Yes," Maggie answered, coming out of her cell. "Let him try," Glenn commented quietly, as he and Hershel walk out of the cell.

"Sounds like he's got a whole town, we're outnumbered and outgunned," Carol sighs. Daryl leaving has not only screwed me up but the group too, if the governor attacks we'll be outnumbered and possibly dead. 

I sigh, running my hand through my hair. "We could use some reinforcement," I say looking to dad. He looks to me, then the main gate, to the common room where the others still sat waiting.

Dad nodded, walking towards the gate unlocking it. We all walked out to the other room, Tyreese and the rest of his group standing to their feet when we do so. 

Dad walks straight to Tyreese, who offers his hand out to him the rest of stand behind him. "I'm Tyreese." Dad ignores his hand looking at them all. "That's Sasha," Hershel said, pointing with one of his crutches. "Allen and Ben," he introduces them. 

Dad looks between them all, then back to us. His eyes are wide and he looks spaced out as sweat drips down his forehead. He turns back to Tyreese asking him, "how'd you get in here?"

"Fire damage to the administrative part of the prison, wall's down," Tyreese told him. Dad stares him down, shifting his weight onto one foot as his hand rests on his gun.

"That sides completely overrun by walkers," dad says as a matter of fact. "How'd you get this far?" he asks them.

"We didn't," Tyreese says sadly. "We lost our friend Donna," he tells him. 

I sighed, stepping in. "They were lost in the gyms," I told him, his body whipped around so he was now facing me "And then you brought them here?" he snapped, causing me to take a step back.

"She had no choice," Hershel told him, dad nodded turning back to Tyreese and the rest of them. "I'm really sorry 'bout your friend," he says. "We know what that's like." 

"Hershel said you could use some extra hands, we're no stranger to hard work," he says, gesturing to his group. "We'll go out get our own food, stay out of your hair. You got a problem with another group, we can help with that too, anything to contribute," Tyreese tells dad, hell of a sales pitch if you'd ask me, we needed all the help we could get.

Dad looks like he's thinking it over a second, before he drops his head and mumbles out, "no."

"Please," Sasha begged. "It's crazy out there, it's just us now." Dad lifts his head to look at them before shaking his head and telling them no again. I look over to Hershel as he mirrors the look on my face, shock. What on earth was dad doing?

"Lets talk about this," Hershel suggested. "No!" dad snapped once again. "We've been through this with Tomas and Andrew, look what happened." 

I scoffed. "Axel and Oscar were nothing like them," I reminded him. "And where's Oscar now?" he said, everyone was silent.

"I can't be responsible," he tells Tyreese.

"You turn us out and you are responsible." 

"Rick," Hershel said, getting his attention and pulling him aside. "You've done so much for us," he says. "I appreciate that, we all do. We owe you our lives, we've done everything you've ever asked, without question." 

"And I'm telling you, you're wrong on this. You've got to start giving people a chance," he tells him. Dad drops his head for a second before looking at us all behind Hershel, then over to Tyreese's small group. 

He looked back to Hershel, sighing as he rubbed his eyes with his hand, then clapping it on Hershel's shoulder, letting out a small smile. His eyes darted up and his face fell immediately as he whispered, "no."

"No, no no no no," he whispered as he shook his head. I looked to Hershel then back to dad. He side-stepped past Hershel then past us as he looked up to the second floor walk way. 

"Why are you here?" he asked, following his line of sight but coming up empty, as dad continued to ramble. "What do you want from me?" 

"Dad?" Carl said confused. I stood by his side pulling him in to me, out of the way as dad took steps backwards. "What are you-?" his voice broke.

"I cant help it!" he shouted, turning to face us, I pulled Carl further in, wrapping my arm around his chest going in protective mode. 

"Get out!" he screamed louder. "Get- get out!" he started to pace between us. 

"Hey, easy Rick, you're starting-" Maggie says softly, trying to place her hands on his shoulder. He stepped backwards, pulling his python out, causing Maggie to jump back, and myself to jump too. Goosebumps crawling up my arms as my pulse started to race, my hands shaking.

"You don't belong here! Get out!"

"Get out, please!" he kept shouting, as he cocked his gun, and started to wave it around. His eyes bouncing between us and up on the catwalk, I pulled Carl behind me. "Get back," Axel told everyone as we stepped away from him.

I've never seen him like this before. This wasn't my dad, this was nothing like the man. 

"Relax, relax," Tyreese says with his hands up in surrender. "We're leaving," he tells him as the rest of his small group grabbed their things. 

"Aint nobody gotta get shot," Tyreese says. As they back up towards the door, dad starts to scream again, "Why are you here!"

"Just go, go," Glenn tells them, getting in between them and dad. I looked to my side not realising Carol had her arms around me and Carl, my body shaking.

As soon as they were gone, Dad walked through the cell block into the tombs. 

We all looked at each other eyes wide, unsure on what had just happened. I'd never seen my dad get that angry before, I've never seen him shout at people like that, to snap at me or anyone? 

Carol slowly pulled her arms away from us, looking between us both as she asked, "you both okay?"

I nodded slowly, my eyes still trained on the gate dad left through. My arm fell from around Carl as he and Carol walked back in to the cellblock. I felt my breathing start to speed up, dad's screaming words still ringing in my ears, making me feel numb. 

I backed up before turning fully and walking out of the prison. Picking up my speed as the fresh air hit my face. The dark sky slowly taking over to end a dark day. 

Pulling myself up the guard tower steps, I felt myself start to panic. Leaning my body into the wall, I tried to calm my breathing. Slowly sliding down, bringing my knees to my chest. It was no use, dad's words still screaming in my ears. Maggie's words still hammering in my chest, the thought of going to war? It was too much, my chest was tightening, each breath harder to inhale. 

I had to make it stop, making it stop, feeling nothing. Closing my eyes, blocking all the voices out, the ringing in my ears slowly fading away.

I sat silently, finally calming myself enough, the numb feeling taking over. My eyes darting up to the dark, cloud covered sky, then down to the treeline just beyond the fences of the prison. 

I don't know what I was looking for. Okay, that was a lie.

A single tear made its way down my cheek as I sat there and watched, waiting for him to come back to me. 


	25. Chapter 25

_Daryl's POV_

Merle and I had made camp for the night. Sitting by the small campfire as Merle told me more about the governor.

My mind constantly driving to her. What she was doing, how she was doing, if she hated me, which she probably did. Merle snapping his fingers in my face bringing me back to reality. 

"Whatch ya thinking 'bout baby brother?" 

"Nothin," I grunted in response, picking the skin around my thumb nail. If Merle knew about her, how I felt about her, I wouldn't hear the end of it. It's not who Dixon's are.

"Thinking about that damn prison?" he tutted, moving away to lay on his back. 

"Don't matter now," I told him, leaning back against and old oak tree, slowly closing my eyes and drifting off into an uneasy sleep. 

Her flawless face filling my dreams, the sounds of her sweet laugh echoing through my brain. Everywhere was dark but it was like the sun was shining on her and only her.

Reaching out to touch her, feel her skin against mine again but she's just out of reach. Barely able to feel her as she backs away, her laugh slowly dying out as her bright smile fades away. 

The brightness in her eyes starts to darken, tears starting to form. 

"You left," she whispered, her voice laced with venom. "I had to," I told her, trying to keep my voice steady, taking a step forward trying to get closer to her. 

But she took a step back, stepping further into the black. "You could have saved me," she whispered once more, before completely falling into the darkness. 

Spinning around, looking for her in each direction, as her screams ring through my ears. 

"Lee!!"

"Daryl, help me!" is all I heard but it was like it was coming from every direction, I couldn't pinpoint where she was. Where the hell was she?! 

"Please don't leave me," she whispered as she fades away into nothing.

My body jolted awake, sweat dripping down my forehead, her words still running through my mind, looking around the dusky forest. My eyes landing on Merle's, his eyes squinting, raised eyebrow.

"Who's Lee, little brother?" he asked, a shit eating grin on his face, fully amused.

"Oh, not gonna tell me?" he laughed when I stood to my feet. 

Ignoring him as I walked away, his voice still echoing through the trees as he shouted to me. "Must be pretty important to get y'all messed up."

Had you really left her for him? the voice in my head asked me, why had I done it? Leaving her, leaving after I promised I'd be back, probably the worst thing I could have done. 

Her screams were still there lingering in my ears. Shaking my head trying to fight them off, but it wouldn't stop them, nothing would, I just had to live with that.

Walking back to the small camp we had built and sitting next to the fire, Merle's eyes glaring a hole into me.

I refuse to look at him, I grab my bags, ready to head out hunting. 

"Lets go," I tell him, standing back to my feet pulling my crossbow over my shoulder, stomping the small fire out.

Merle grunts before getting to his feet and following me deeper into the woods.

• • •

"Man there ain't nothin out here but mosquitoes and ants," I tell Merle, looking around the leaved floor for any types of tracks. 

"Patience little brother, sooner or later a squirrel's sure to scurry across your path," he says from the distance, leaned up against a tree.

"Even so, that ain't much food." 

"More than nothing." 

"Have better luck going through one of those houses we passed back on the turn-off," I suggest. "Is that what your new friends taught you?" he asked me, pushing himself off the tree and stepping closer.

"Hm? How to loot for booty? Is that what little Lee told you to do?" he folds his bottom lip, I turn my head away from him. 

"Man, we've been out here for hours," I remind him, quickly changing the conversation back to hunting and off of her.

"Why don't we find a stream?" I suggest, still holding my crossbow high in the hopes we actually find something. "Try our luck with some fish." 

"I think you're just trying to beat me back to the road man," he says from behind me. "Get me over to that prison." 

Lowering my weapon, I lean against the closest tree, as Merle kneels to the ground looking for any type of track.

"We've got shelter," I sigh, crossing my leg over the other. "Food, a pot to piss in might not be a bad idea." That wasn't the only reason, damn they weren't even the most important reasons. 

"For you maybe, ain't gonna be no damn party for me. "

"Everyone would get used to each other." Would they though? Having Merle in the prison around everyone? He ain't the governor but he aint a saint either.

"They're all dead, makes no difference," he tells me, and I can feel my blood start to run cold. Her screams quickly filling my head again. 

"How can you be so sure?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. 

"Right about now, he's probably hosting a housewarming party, where he's gonna bury the rest of your pals, including your good ol' friend Lee." His voice was monotone, clearly not giving a shit about any of them.

"Let's go hook some fish," he tells me as he walks past, slapping my shoulder as he does. 

• • •

"Smells to me like Swahatchee creek," Merle muttered, as we step over fallen branches, the old leaves still crunching under our boots. 

"We didn't go far west enough," I tell him. "There's a river down there, it's gotta be the Yellowjacket. " 

"You have a stroke, boy?" he chuckles. "We ain't ever even come close to Yellowjacket." He was starting to get out of breath, pulling himself along with the help of the trees. 

"Well, we didn't go west, just a little bit south, that's what I think." 

"You know what I think?" he asks me, still out of breath. I would tell him no, but that wouldn't stop him so he carries on. "I think I may have lost my hand, but you lost your sense of direction."

"Yeah, we'll see," I scoff.

"oh, you wanna bet?" 

"I don't wanna bet nothin, it's just a body of water," I tell him straight. "Why's everything gotta be a competition with you?" 

"Oh, take it easy, little brother, just trying to have a little fun. no need to get your panties all up in a bundle." 

Slowing down behind Merle, a quiet sound coming through the forest, trying my best to concentrate, to listen. it sounded like a baby? A crying baby. 

"You hear that?" I ask him.

"Yeah, wild animals getting wild," he shrugged. "No, it's a baby," I tell him. He furrows his eyebrows looking at me like I was insane. "Oh, come on," he scoffed. "Why don't you just piss in my ear and tell me it's raining too?"

"That there is the sound of sweet animals making love," he laughs. Pushing past him, I pick up my pace, the baby's cries getting louder, but now along with a woman screaming and gun shots. 

I stop beside the river bed, looking up to the bridge. People still screaming, someone standing on top of what looked like a car, firing his gun. 

Merle whistled to them. "Hey!" he shouted. "Jump!" he laughed. 

I turned to look at him, was he serious? I don't know why I would think this would be different. That Merle would be different. 

"What?" he asked, confused, as I pushed past him.

"Hey man, I aint wasting my bullets for a couple of strangers!" he sounded pissed, pissed that I would even consider helping someone that wasn't him. I wasn't listening, I just ran. 

Her voice in my head, that's all I needed to tell me to go, and I did. 

Gunshots were getting louder just as the screams did, as I got closer to the bridge the screams and shouting became clearer.

The guys on top of the car screaming in another language as they fought off the walkers trying to tear them apart. Quickly loading my bow and firing it into the walkers skull just before it wrapped its mouth around one of the men's ankles. 

The two men looked up at me, confused, as I pulled the arrow from the skull and quickly pushing it into another. The bridge was full of them, the baby's cries attracting them from afar. 

"Cover me," I yell to them, as one jumps off the roof of the car, picking up his gun he had dropped. 

A walker crawling over a car that held the baby and what I presumed it's mother. As she cried, holding onto her baby for dear life, I swing my crossbow into he walkers' brain, smearing it over the window of the car. 

The mother continued to cry, a walker crawling its way into the car from the open trunk reaching out for its next meal.

Running around to the back, pulling the walker out by it legs closing the trunk on its head making the blood splat everywhere.

"Daryl, I gotcha," I heard Merle shout before another gun shot rang, turning my head seeing a walker fall to the ground a foot away from me.

The men kept shouting in Spanish, as I pushed my knife into the final walkers' skull, kicking it off the side of the bridge.

The baby's cries still rang out, watching as Merle opened the back door of their car. One of the men trying to protest, just for Merle to aim his gun in his face. "Slow down," he told him. 

"That ain't the way to say thank you now is it?" he asked him, still keeping his gun pointed in his face. The man started to speak Spanish, his eyes darting between Merle and the woman and baby.

"Let him go," I tell him, walking back around the car.

"Eh, least he could do is give us a taco or something?" he said lowering his gun and putting it back in his waistband before climbing in the back of the car looking through their belongings.

"Easy does it," he tells the woman. "Everything's going to be fine." He started to pull everything out. Not a care in the world.

"Hey, hey!" the other young man walked towards the car before the other put his hand out to stop him telling him something in Spanish.

Merle pulled jars out letting them fall to the ground smashing on impact. The older dude looked me in the eye, giving me a slight pleading look as he looked to his family, then Merle scared.

Sighing, I lift my crossbow, pushing it slightly into merles back. "Get outta the car," I tell him.

"I know you're not talking to me brother," he said angrily but still staying put in the car looking around. 

I looked to the older guy, "get in your car and get the hell outta here" I tell him through gritted teeth, still keeping my crossbow pointed at Merle's back. 

He looked at me confused, his eyes still darting around. "Go!" I shout at him, causing him to step backwards. "Get in your car!" 

He pulled the younger guy behind him before they both ran around to the other side of the car. Merle pulled his head out as he turned to look at me before fully getting out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. 

His eyes were filled with anger, just like our old man used to be, the spitting image. Moving the crossbow higher now he had tunred around pointing it into his face. The men jumped into the car, quickly reversing off the bridge.

He pushed the crossbow out of his face, without saying a word I lowered it and walked away from him, picking up my discarded backpack and pulling out the few stray arrows from the walkers skulls as they laid on the floor. Walking off the bridge, not caring if Merle followed.

• • •

After walking in silence for no more than five minutes, Merle spoke up, pissed as hell.

"What the hell you doing pointing that thing at me?" he said through gritted teeth as he walked a few paces behind me.

I sighed, "they were scared, man," I told him.

"They were rude, that's what they were," he says, like it's a matter of fact. "Rude, and they owed us."

"Naw," I shook my head. "They didn't owe us nothin." 

"Yeah, because you help people out of the kindness of your own heart, even though you might die doing it!"

He kept going as I picked up the pace, his breathing getting heavier as he talked. "Is that something sheriff Rick taught ya? Or ya pal Lee?"

I stopped, spinning on my heels. "There was a baby!" I shouted in his face. 

"Oh, otherwise you woulda left them to be dinner?" he said sarcastically, pouting his lips. 

"Man, I went back for you!" I told him, quickly realising what this was really about, fucking Atlanta. "You weren't there." 

His eyes softened for split second before I carried on. "I didn't cut off your hand either, you did that! Way before they locked you up on that roof, you asked for it!"

He looked at me shocked for a second before letting out a small laugh. "You know whats funny to me, hmm?"

"You and Sheriff Rick are like this now," he tells me, holding up his crossed fingers. "I'll bet you a penny that you never told them that we were planning robbing that camp blind."

"It didn't happen," I tell him. 

"Yeah, it didn't because I wasn't there to help you. What would your little friend think of that, eh?"

"What, like when we were kids?" now getting angrier, getting in his face and ignoring the comment on her again. 

"Who left who, then?!"

"What?!" he screamed in my face. "Is that why I lost my hand?"

"You lost your hand because you're a simple-minded piece of shit!" I screamed before turning my back and walking away, not getting far before he grabbed me by the back of my shirt, pulling my bag to the floor and ripping it off me, causing my body to go stiff as my back was in full view.

Merle stopped still as he looked at it. I quickly scrambled, pushing him away, trying to cover up, pulling my bag over my exposed back.

"I- I didn't know he was-" I cut him off, "yeah, he did," tears building in my eyes, but refusing to let them fall, especially in front of him.

"He did the same to you," I told him, standing to my feet. "That's why you left first."

"I had to, man," he told me. "I would have killed him otherwise." I walked away from him.

"Where you going?" he asked me.

"Back where I belong," I tell him straight.

"I can't go with you, I tried to kill that black bitch. Damn near killed the Chinese kid. "

I scoffed, "he's Korean," I tell him.

His face screws up for a second as he shrugs. "Whatever, doesn't matter man, I can't go with you. "

I bowed my head for a second, taking a deep breath. "You know, I may be the one walking away, but you're the one that's leaving."

"Again," I add on before turning and walking away through the trees and back to the prison, back to her. I shouldn't have left, not her, not any of them. I could only hope that she didn't hate me like I hated myself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter, let me know what you think, comment leave a kudos. love all you beautiful readers.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw; emotional break-down, trauma.

I watched as the morning sun started to rise behind the treeline. My eyes didn't leave them the whole night, I'm unsure on the last time I actually slept. 

I sat watching dad run down to the graves in the field, stopping and standing in front of Lori's, and what was meant to be mine. My grave, a mound of dirt where my body was meant to buried underneath. Maybe I should have been there, maybe it would have been easier to be there, and not here, feeling nothing.

Michonne climbed out of the back of the overturned bus. Watching dad look around confused, I kept my eyes on him, watching as he ran past her. Fumbling with the keys in his hand to open the gate and running out of the fences, Michonne turned, looking up to me. As her eyes land on me I turn back to the treeline keeping the blank expression on my face. 

The only sounds that could be heard was the birds chirping and the wind hitting the trees, causing them to shake. I closed my eyes taking it all in, letting the sun shine down on my face. 

My eyes bolted open when I felt a kick to my leg. Turning, seeing Maggie stood there, her arms crossed over her chest. 

"I've been calling your name for over ten minutes," she tells me. I shrug my shoulders at her, "So?"

She sighs, unfolding her arms, and reaching out for me with her hand. "We're going over the plan."

"Fine," I push myself off the floor, getting to my feet, ignoring Maggie's hand and pushing past her. 

"Have you slept at all, Kaylee?" she asked, walking behind me.

"A few hours," I lie, climbing down the guard tower and walking away from her. 

• • •

We were stood around the common room, Glenn and Carl sitting on the floor drawing the layout of the tombs with chalk. Glenn turned to look to me, "Now, you said you found Tyreese's group here?" he asked. I nodded. 

"We secured this," he sighed. "He thought he came through here," Carl pointed out.

"That means there's another breach," Glenn commented, running his hand down his face. "The whole front of the prison is insecure. If walkers just strolled in then it will be easy for a group of men." 

"Why are we even sure they're going to attack?" Beth asked, the innocence in her voice coming out loud and clear.

"He had fish tanks filled with heads," Michonne spoke up, leaning against the wall. "Walkers and humans. Trophies, he's coming."

"We should hit them now," I say. "Get them before they get us," I suggest, this was a way to be done with it all. 

"What?" Beth asked.

"He won't expect it. Sneak in, put a bullet through his head, and be done with it."

"We're not assassin's," Carol pointed out. I scoffed, "you know where his apartment is right?" I asked Michonne. "Me and you, we can go end this tonight." She looked at me then down to the floor.

"I'll do it myself, just get me in." She gave me a slight nod. "Okay."

"He didn't know they were coming last time and look what happened," Hershel commented. "They were almost killed, Daryl was captured." My jaw tightens at his words. "Glenn and Maggie were almost executed."

"You can't stop me," I tell him. I could feel everyone's eyes on me but I didn't care, I needed to feel something, anything other than what I was already feeling, and this was the way. 

"Your father would never allow this."

"You really think he's in the best place to be making that choice?" I ask him, raising my eyebrows.

"Think this through, Kaylee. T-dog lost his life, Lori too, the men that were here. It isn't worth any more killing."

"You think I don't know who died here?!" my voice beams. "The people we lost, the people I lost? I don't need to be told!"

"If he's really on his way, we should be out of here by now."

"And go where?" I ask him. "We lived on the road all winter," he tells me. 

"Yeah, back when you had two legs and we didn't have a baby screaming every four hours."

"We can't stay here."

"We can't run," I tell them sternly. Maggie looks to the floor before walking back into the cellblock. 

"We'll stay put, defend this place, make a stand," Glenn says. Hershel nods, agreeing with him. 

"Carl and I will go down to the tombs and figure out where the breach is," he tells us. "You'll need some help," Michonne says.

"No, I need you up here in case anything happens, and someone on watch." She nods to him. "Okay, lets go." He and Carl make their way over to the weapons table.

As I start to walk back outside, Hershel holds his crutch up in front of me, stopping me, I look to his face. "What?" I ask him. 

"Give me your gun," he tells me. I scoff, trying to walk around him. "Kaylee, you haven't slept in days, you are not in your right mind to be carrying a gun." I let out a small laugh, looking around, everyone's eyes are to the ground. I look to Carl and see he's refusing to meet my eyes. 

"You can't be serious."

"Get some rest and your head on straight and you'll have it back," he tells me. 

"Seriously? You're not my dad, you're not my family. You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. You don't know me or how I feel! So just back off!" I shout.

"What, you going to go take dad's off him too?" I ask him, he drops his crutch from in front of me, holding his hand out, waiting for me to hand over my gun. 

"Just do it, Kay, please," I hear Carl's voice from across the room. "Go sleep and you'll get it back," the scared look in his eye when he finally looks at me, the little boy shining through. 

I pull my gun out of the holster, shoving it into his hand. "Let's hope I don't need it."

I walked out of the prison, the sound of crutches tapping on the floor following me. Stopping when I got to the court yard, I turn to face Hershel. "What, you've come to take my knife now?" I ask him.

He sighs, looking down for a second then back to me. "I'm just doing what's right, Kaylee."

"Taking my weapon isn't the right thing and you know that. What do you think I'm going to do, shoot myself in the head?" He doesn't say a word, just looks at me.

"Seriously? You think I'd kill myself, now that's ridiculous. You're just doing it to make yourself feel better."

"I don't want you hurting yourself, you're already hurting and in pain. We all saw it, but now you're out for blood? That's not you, Kaylee, not who you are."

"You don't know me," I turned back around.

"I know you're not a killer, I know you cared about Daryl, T, and Lori. Now he's gone, and they died, and you couldn't do anything to stop it. Any of it," he calls from behind me.

"I've been where you are, turning it off to make it easier to deal with the loss, not sleeping or eating, it doesn't help. It only makes it worse. It's not your fault Lori died, or T died, or that Daryl left, Kaylee."

I kept my back to him, but kept listening to what he had to say. "It will get easier, you just have to be here to see it, so I'm keeping your gun for now," he tells me.

"Glenn's going to take a drive around the prison, take a look at what's going on," he says before I hear his crutches tap against the floor, getting quieter and quieter as he walked away from me. 

He was right and I knew it, but the feeling of loss was becoming too much, losing Lori, T, Daryl, now my dad, it was too much. I didn't want it to get better.

• • •

It wasn't long before Glenn had gotten into one of the cars and drove out of the prison gates. Hershel had made his way to the bottom of the field, I guess to talk some sense into dad and get him out of crazy town. 

Everyone else had made their way to the courtyard to start fortifying it. I could still feel everyone's eyes on me, making me feel small, I hated this feeling. Everything seemed to be fucked up now.

I pulled the gate open, walking down the field. Michonne not far behind, following me, "You still wanna do this?" she asked. 

"Yeah, I do," I tell her, stopping next to the bus, it was something I could actually do.

"You really think it's the best idea?" she raised her eyebrow at me. 

Sighing, I turned to her, "It's the only thing I can do." 

She looked at me confused before a gun shot rang out. We looked around, frantic and confused, before more gunshots rang out from behind the fence. 

The governor. He was here. Hershel dived to the floor, dodging the incoming bullets as Michonne pulled me behind the bus. 

Michonne peaked behind the bus, trying to land a shot on the shooter behind the fence, but missing, as we kept getting fired at. 

I go for my gun before realising I didn't have it, God damn Hershel. Today wasn't the day to have my gun taken away. Poking my head around the bus, I see someone standing in one of the guard towers firing down in the courtyard. I just prayed Carl and everyone was okay.

The gunshots stopped, and everything went quiet. I looked to Michonne, and I could only assume I had the same shocked look on my face that she did.

The shots kept stopping and starting, firing down at the group in the yard, no one able to land a shot at him. I took a deep breath before taking Michonne's rifle off her, stepping out from behind the bus.

I take a few deep breaths before holding the rifle up, looking through the scope for my target, and firing. 

The bullet casings falling beside me as I keep firing until the gun clicked, no more bullets. Everything falls silent once again. I look to Michonne as a car could be heard in the distance getting closer. 

It felt like I was living in slow motion as an old ice cream truck as such ploughed through the front gates, taking them down, and speeding up once it was through the fences. Michonne grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me backwards before the truck took me with it, the rifle falling from my hands as my back hit the ground. 

Michonne pulled me to my feet, watching as the back of the truck came down into a ramp, walkers stumble their way out and into the field. This wasn't good, at all. I could feel the panic in my chest rise. 

The side door of the truck slid open, someone stepping out in full gear, helmet and vest, with a handgun, firing on Michonne and I. I pulled her around the side of the bus trying to dodge the bullets meant for us. 

"Go get Hershel!" I tell her as she nods, pulling her katana out and running to Hershel. I start running around the bus, stopping the man from running out of the gate by grabbing the back of his vest and pulling him backwards.

He spins around, swinging his fist into my jaw, knocking me back. Clenching my hand into a tight fist and swinging but missing by a mile. He lands another fist into my cheek and pushing me backwards, I miss my footing, falling to the ground on my back. He leans over me before crouching down, hitting me once more before wrapping his hands around my throat. Fumbling with my hands trying to push him off me, using my feet to get a grip on the floor to roll myself away. 

I stop fighting him, the air slowly being sucked away from me, I reach down for the knife on my hip, desperately needing air to fill my lungs. Gripping the knife in my hands so tight my knuckles turn white, pulling it from its holder and swinging my arm up, the knife landing just below his chin, his grip around my throat slowly easing. Pulling the knife from his neck, his blood pooling out like a open tap over me. His body falls limp, his dead weight on top of me. 

Taking a second to fill my lungs, but the second is quickly cut short as a walker falls on top of his body, ripping it apart. I let out a high pitched scream.

I felt like I was dreaming when an arrow bolt landed in the walkers brain, causing it fall limp on top of the person I just killed. Unable to move to see if I was dreaming, but I had to be, right? He wouldn't come back, not now. 

I close my eyes, trying to catch my breath. What the hell just happened? What the hell is happening, my mind was going a thousand miles an hour. "Kaylee!" I heard dad's worried voice as the weight of the dead bodies were moved off me, and I was pulled to my feet. 

I open my eyes when I felt myself wrapped in dad's arms. Looking behind him, our eyes locked. I wasn't dreaming, he was there, he was real. 

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, in fear he'd disapper as soon as I did. His eyes were locked on me, it looked like he was holding his breath. He was actually here, he came back. 

Dad unwrapped his arms from me, holding onto my arms as he looked me over. Tearing my eyes away from Daryl to look at him.

"Oh, God," dad worried, looking at my face and neck.

"It's not my blood, it's not my blood," I kept repeating to him. 

"Let's get you cleaned up," he tells me, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me towards the gate and out of the field, as more walkers made their way through the now destroyed gates. 

"Well, I'll be damned," I heard from behind me, a thick southern accent, not one i recognised. I hadn't even noticed anyone else was there.

Carol closed the gate behind Daryl, and who I guess to be Merle, Maggie making her way over to me, a concerned look in her eye. 

"I'm okay," I tell her before she can get any words out. She gives me a small smile before dad keeps pulling me into the prison.

• • •

I sat down on the bottom bunk of my bunk, my eyes trained on my hands watching my thumbs smear the blood on my fingers more. Everyone was starting to make their way in, loud voices were echoing against the walls. I kept them blocked out, my only focus was on the blood.

"May I?" Hershel asked in a low whisper as he sat next to me, breaking me out of my trance. I nodded slowly before he started to slowly clean the blood of my face then hands.

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze as he got up, taking the blood soaked rags and bloody water with him.

My eyes darted back to my hands. The blood was gone to a certain degree but I still felt dirty, my hands still felt sticky and covered in blood. I'd killed someone, actually ripped the breath from their lungs as they died by my knife, by my hand. 

I shook my head, trying to forget what had happened, the shouting getting louder from downstairs.

Stepping out of my cell, Daryl's eyes immediately met mine, the sad look burning into me, his blue eyes not so bright anymore. Turning my face away begging the tears not to fall, not for him to see me broken, more broken than before.

I walked past him keeping my eyes low as I walked down the steps to the rest of the group, they're all reloading their weapons. I sit next to Hershel on the bottom step. 

"We're not leaving," Dad tells them, it's like his mind has flipped since this morning. He seemed to have his head on straight and thinking more clearly. 

"We can't stay here," Hershel argues. "What if there's another sniper?" Maggie asks. "A wooden pallet won't stop one of those rounds."

"We can't even go outside," Beth says. "Not in the daylight." Carol pipes up from the walkway above, I didn't see her up there.

"If Rick says we're not leaving, we're not leaving," Glenn tells everyone.

"No? Better to live like rats?" Merle pipes up from behind the gate, locked in the common room, his eyes land on me before giving a small smirk before looking elsewhere.

"You got a better idea?" Dad asks him.

"Yeah, we should have slid out already, but we lost that window. He probably has scouts on every road out of here by now. " 

"We ain't scared of that prick." His voice warms my chest, the thought of never hearing that redneck attitude again. 

"Y'all should be, the truck through the fence, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind but he's got the guns and the men, and if he takes the high ground around this place," he scoffs, "he could just starve us to death."

"Let's put him in the other cell block," Maggie says.

"No, he's got a point," Daryl says, his eyes not leaving me.

"This is all your fault, you started this!" Maggie's voice raises. "It doesn't matter who's fault it is, what do we do?" Beth asks.

"I said we should leave," Hershel says. "Now Axel's dead, we can't just sit here."

Dad looks to him before turning around and walking out the cellblock, not before Hershel pulls himself up shouting, "Get back here!" causing dad to stop. 

"You're slipping Rick, we've all seen it. We understand why. Now's just not the time," he tells him, making his way over to him. 

"You once said this is not a democracy, now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."

Dad continues to walk out, everyone looked around before Carl stood up, following him out. 

Hershel walked back over to me, pulling my gun out of his waist band, handing it to me. I looked to my gun before looking to Hershel.

"I'm sure," he tells me. I give him a small smile before taking it and putting it back in the holster in my hip where it belonged. 

"I thought I was doing what was best," he tells me. "I know, Hershel," I told him before getting up to reload it. I could still feel Daryl's eyes on me but I couldn't deal with him, or any of it, not now.

• • •

Half an hour later, Carl came back with dad behind him, a small smile on his lips.

"Take watch," he tells Maggie. "Eyes open, head down." He hands her a set of keys.

"The field's filled with walkers, I didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie out there on watch," he tells us, handing Glenn his rifle to reload.

"I could get up in the guard tower, take out half the walkers, give them time to fix the fence," Daryl suggests.

"We could use some of the cars to put the bus in place," Michonne says. I keep my distance and just listen to them.

We can't get through the field without burning through most of our bullets," Hershel says, debunking the plans.

"So we're trapped in here," Glenn sighs. "There's barely any food or ammo."

"We've been here before, we'll be alright," Daryl says.

"That's when it was just us, not a snake here."

"Man, we gotta go through this again?" Daryl snarks. "Merle's here, he's with us now, nothing's gonna change that," he snaps before making his way up to his stuff.

Glenn starts to raise his voice to dad, my head starting to get foggy as the minutes pass. Standing to my feet and grabbing a loaded rifle, I make my way out of the cellblock, headed to the guard tower. 

Passing Merle's cell, he let out a low whistle. "You're officer friendly's little girl?" he asked me, causing me to stop. "Don't think we've had the pleasure, I'm Merle, and you, sweet cheeks, are Kaylee," he smirks again. 

I roll my eyes and start to walk away before he pipes up again. "Oh, come on now, be friendly, won't'cha?" 

Turning to him I tell him, "You're only here because Daryl's vouching for you, don't mean I gotta talk to you." 

"Feisty, I see why my baby brother likes you," he says, causing me to roll my eyes. "Your daddy seemed to be in outta his mind a little back there." 

"You don't seem all too hot either, sweet cheeks," he said, squinting his eyes to look at me. "Demons running around in that pretty little head of yours?" 

"You don't know shit," I spat, I could feel my face hardening, stepping closer to the fence between us as I looked down at him. 

He lets out a chuckle holding up his hand and metal stump. "Easy girl, don't have to get your panties in a twist or worry about good ol Merle." 

"When the governor comes back, he'll kill me first. Then Michonne, my brother, Maggie, the old man, Glenn, Carl, and the baby, you, whoever else is left. He'll save your daddy for last so he can watch all his family and friends die ugly." My hands grip the metal fence, my knuckles turning white from the tightening grip. 

"That's who you're dealing with, might want to get that head in check," he tells me before moving away from the fence to the other side of his cell.

My grip loosened on the fence, backing away slowly before turning completely and walking out the door towards the guard tower. 

"Kaylee!" I heard from behind me. Maggie. I didn't stop. "Kaylee!" I heard again, sighing, I stopped to look at her. She was sat behind one of the wood pallets being used for cover, not that it would do much help.

"Yes?" I asked her. 

"You shouldn't be out here." 

"Well, you are," I shrugged. "If you need me I'll be on look out in the guard tower." I give her my best smile before I start walking again.

"Kaylee, what's that?" I hear her from behind me again, I let out a small grunt not really caring what she had to say or what she saw. 

I look at her looking through the scope of her rifle dad had given her towards the field. She lowered the gun before doing a double take. 

"Andrea," she says. I lift my rifle, looking through the scope and scanning the treeline. And there she was, Andrea, heading towards the prison, holding onto a walker by its neck. 

"Shit," I mumble under my breath. 

"Go get your dad and the others," Maggie tells me. I sigh, this day getting worse as the seconds went by.

I turn back around running back into the prison past Merle's cell, into the cellblock. Dad and Daryl's head shot up at the sound of my running footsteps. 

"What is it?" dad asks me straight away. 

"It's Andrea, she's here." I tell them, I see dad's face twist while Glenn and Michonne look to us. "Is she alone?" he asks me.

"We don't know, Maggie's still out there." 

"Carol, Glenn, on the bridge," he tells them handing them their own rifles, before they both head out to the bridge.

"Hershel, you and Carl stay here, protect Judith." 

"Let's go," he says, handing Michonne and Beth a rifle before walking out of the cellblock and past Merle. "Everyone keep your eyes peeled, we don't know if anyone came with her. They could be in the treeline."

"Hey! What about me?" Merle shouts. "Man, he's right. If they're out there then we need him," Daryl tells dad. 

Dad sighs, knowing he's right, we needed him, sadly. Dad walked over to Merle's cell, keys in hand to unlock it when Daryl turned to me. "You good?" his voice was low, only made for me to hear.

"Fine," I tell him, no emotion in my voice. I grip my rifle tighter in my hands and move away from him and closer to the door, I could still feel his eyes burning into me. 

After letting Merle out and handing him a weapon, hoping to God it didn't backfire on us, we made our way outside. Keeping low and our weapons high, quickly moving behind one of the cars. 

"Go," dad tells us, Merle running around the car to behind another one. "Clear," he shouts before we move from behind the car, fanning out over the courtyard as we made our way to the fence. 

"Are you alone?!" dad shouted to her, I kept my gun pointed to her as me and Daryl got to the fence. 

"Open the gate!" she shouted back, the sounds of walkers getting louder. 

"Are you alone?!" dad said once more, his back hitting the fence. "Rick?" she shouted in disbelief.

Dad looked over to me and Daryl before nodding and throwing the keys over to us, Daryl catching them. 

Daryl moved to open the gate. Dad, Merle, and I keeping our guns raised and pointed to her. This shit could still be a trap. Andrea pushed her walker buddy away from her when

Daryl pulled the gate open. She quickly runs through the small gap, Daryl closing it behind her.

"Put your hands up!" dad shouted to her, the shock on her face clear to see. "Turn around!" he shouted. "What?" she tried to say before turning around putting her hands up on the fence. 

Dad started frisking her taking the gun out of her waist band. A walker slamming on the fence the other side of her causing her to scream. 

"Alright, get down," dad tells her, gripping her shirt and turning her. "On the floor," he tells her, she kneels to the ground. 

Maggie had now joined us in the courtyard. All of us are still on edge, our weapons pointing out of the prison, ready for anything.

"I asked if you were alone," dad says to Andrea. "I am," she says breathlessly, before dad pulled the bag off her shoulder and throwing it away from us.

Andrea took a second before she looked around at all of us, taking it all in that we were still alive, maybe, I don't know.

"Welcome back," dad tells her, grabbing her arm and telling her to get up. Climbing to her feet she follows behind dad into the prison. Lowering my gun, I pull the strap over my head and follow after them.

Carol and Glenn just walking down the steps from the bridge into the common room. Andrea stops, looking at Carol before opening her arms and the two friends embrace each other. 

Everyone piles in, discarding their weapons back to the table as I leaned against the wall away from everyone. 

"After you saved me, we all thought you were dead," Carol tells her. Andrea's eyes look behind Carol, seeing Hershel.

"Hershel, my god," she gasps, lowering her arms from Carol, she looks around at the common room at us. 

"I can't believe this," she smiles. 

"Where's Shane?" she asks, looking to dad. I can feel my body stiffen and eyes on me, but I kept mine on Andrea. No one said a word, and that was enough for her to let out a small sigh.

"And Lori?" she asks. 

Again, no one said anything, dad dropped his head looking to the ground. "She had a girl," Hershel piped up. "Lori didn't survive." My chest felt heavy, a lump in my throat quickly forming. Now isn't the time, not to get sad or cry, so i sucked it up.

"Neither did T-dog," Maggie said. I took a deep breath, I could feel my flood gates ready to explode, and that couldn't happen.

"I'm so sorry," Andrea said, probably as sincere as she could. She looked to Carl, then me. "Carl, Kaylee," she said sympathetically, before turning to dad, "Rick, I- I don't..."

"Do you all live here?" she asks. 

"Here, and the cellblock," Glenn answered.

"There?" she asks, pointing to the gate leading to the cellblock. "Can I go in?" she asks, taking a few steps forward. Daryl getting to his feet quickly but dad stepped forward in front of her, "I won't allow that," he tells her.

"I'm not an enemy, Rick."

"We had that field, that courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence and shot us up," he tells her.

"He said you fired first," she said in disbelief, I let out a small scoff I'd been trying to keep in. Of course he would say that. 

"He's lying," dad tells her with a straight face.

"He killed an inmate that had survived here," Hershel tells her. 

"We liked him, he was one of us," Daryl adds.

"I didn't know anything about that" she shakes her head. "As soon as I found out, I came."

"I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shoot out," she says, spinning around to look at everyone.

"That was days ago," Glenn says, crossing his arms. 

"I told you, I came as soon as I could," she looks back and forth between Glenn and Maggie before spinning on her heels to look at Michonne. "What have you told them?" she asks her.

"Nothing," Michonne answers.

"I don't get it," Andrea says. "I left Atlanta with you people and now I'm the odd man out?"

"He almost killed Michonne, and he would have killed us," Glenn tells her. 

"With his finger on the trigger," she says pointing to Merle. "Isn't he the one that kidnapped you? Who beat you?" she raised her voice. 

Taking a deep breath and running her hand down her face she sighed. "I cannot excuse or explain what Philip has done but I'm here trying to bring us together."

"We have to work this out," she says looking to dad.

"There's nothing to work out," he tells her. "We're gonna kill him. I don't know how or when, but we will." My eyes went down to my hands, blood still lingering under my finger nails. I still felt covered in blood from head to toe.

"We can settle this," she tells dad. "There is room at Woodbury for all of you."

Merle lets out a laugh, "you know better than that."

"What makes you think this man is willing to negotiate? Did he say that?" Hershel asks her.

"No," she says quietly. 

"Then why did you come here?" dad asks her.

"Because he's gearing up for war the people are terrified, they see you all as killers, they're training to attack." 

"I'll tell you what, " Daryl speaks up. "Next time you see Philip, you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

"We've taken too much shit for too long," Glenn says. "If he wants a war, then he's got one."

"Rick, if you don't sit down and work this out, I don't know what's going to happen. He has a whole town. Look at you, you've already lost so much, you can't stand alone anymore." 

Pushing myself off the wall, fed up of hearing Andrea's peace talks I speak up. "Want to make this right?" she turns to look at me. "You get us inside." 

"No," she tells me straight away.

"There we go then," dad says walking into the cellblock.

"There are innocent people inside," she shouts.

• • •

Walking out of the cell we kept the medical supplies in after pulling my stiches out of my head, I could hear voices coming from the balcony above.

"What happened to Lori?" Andrea asked someone. 

"During the C-section, Maggie," Carol answered her. "Carl had to." The flashes that came to me hearing these words, I knew what happened, I knew Carl had to, but picturing it is much worse, and I couldn't stop picturing no matter how hard I tried. 

"Oh my god," I heard Andrea gasp. 

"T-dog died leading Kaylee to safety," Carol told her, those pictures were just as bad, coming more like flashes, hitting when I least expected.

"And Shane?" she asked her. I always found it oddly amusing how my body reacted and changed reactions so quickly to different circumstances. Just hearing the slight mutter of Shane's name sent shivers down my spine before my body tenses up. 

"Rick killed him," Carol told her straight up, there was a moment of silence before she carried on. "The night we left the farm, the whole 'Randell escaping,' it was a lie. Shane tried to kill Rick, he attacked Kaylee."

"Shane loved Rick, and Kaylee" she tried to argue.

"Shane loved Lori."

"Rick's become cold, unsteady." 

"He has his reasons," Carol tells her.

"Does Kaylee too?" she asks her, in that moment I started to walk away but my legs stopped moving when I heard Carol's next words.

"The governor, you need to do something. Sleep with him, give him the best night of his life. Get him to drop his guard, then when he's sleeping you can end this." This would be one way to get it done, to not go to war. Whether she follows through with it is a different story. 

• • •

The sun was starting to set, we were all stood in the courtyard as Glenn drove one of the prison cars through the gate. 

"Are you sure you can spare it?" Andrea asks as Glenn jumps out of the driver's seat.

"Yeah," dad tells her as Carl hands her bag back.

She takes one last look around at everyone. It's a weird kind of silent as she looks at us all before climbing into the car saying, "well, take care."

Dad hands her gun and knife back to her through the window before telling her, "be careful."

We all stood there watching her drive off, Merle opening the gate for her to drive through, quickly closing it before any walkers made their way through. 

Everyone walked slowly back inside, still silent, unsure if we'd see Andrea again. And if we did, what side she would be on. 

It wasn't long before it had gotten dark, only a few small camp lights lighting up the cellblock.

No one had really said anything, as we sat around just waiting. Waiting for something to happen. 

Dad slowly made his way down the steps with Judith wrapped up in his arms when Beth started singing, her voice echoing through the cellblock. 

"They hung a sign up in our town, if you live it up you won't live it down."

Dad made his way over to Daryl and Hershel leaning against the wall next to them. People began smiling at Beth singing, slowly being entranced by it. 

I climbed to my feet from sitting on the floor against the wall, and walked out of the cellblock, picking up a rifle from the table. Beth's voice following me until I hit the fresh air. 

I take the peaceful night in before making my way over to the guard tower, finally. The low moans of the walkers getting closer.

Getting to the top of the guard tower felt somewhat freeing, feeling some of the stress leave my body straight away. It made me feel safe being up here, closer to the stars.

Leaning against the wall as I slid down, tilting my head to the sky, hoping for some kind of reassurance but being faced with clouds.

That's just how I felt, cloudy.

I watched the last few droplets of light fade away as darkness consumed. I just sat and watched, the clouds getting thicker, the night sky behind them covered.

"I knew I'd find you here," his rough voice breaking through, my head snapping to its side, seeing him standing there, of course he was. 

Turning my head back to the sky, before he speaks again. "It's cloudy," he points out, and all I want to say is, "yeah, no shit," while rolling my eyes but I bite my tongue.

I hear him sigh from beside me. "When was the last time you slept?" he asked me. I don't answer. "Please Kaylee, I'm sorry." His words shouldn't be hurting me so much, making me feel this angry. 

I could feel his eyes on me, like I had been all day, ever since he walked back through that gate. He was waiting for me to say something, respond to him, somehow I just couldn't. 

Pulling my eyes away from the sky to my hands before pushing my back off the wall, getting to my feet. Keeping my head low, trying to walk past him, clenching my fists.

"No," he says stepping in front of me. "Did Maggie tell you what happened? Did she tell you what I said?" 

I nod, averting my eyes as much as I could, the fire in my belly getting stronger by the second. I don't want to do this, to look at him or speak to him in fear of erupting. He knows how to break my walls down, I didn't want that. Not again. 

"I know you're angry but-" he tries to say before I can even hold back the words from spilling from my mouth. "I'm not angry," I tell him bitterly, finally looking up at him, the confused look looking back at me. 

"How could I possibly be angry?! When I might have done the same thing. He's your brother, your blood, I get that-"

"He's family," he tells me before I scoff. "That's the thing, Daryl, I thought we were your family too, I thought I was." 

"You are my family, Lee." I can hear the emotion in his voice but a part of me didn't care. He reached forward, wrapping his hand around my clenched fist. 

Pulling my hand away from him as fast as I could, "You left Daryl!" My voice started to rise, "You left me!" I could feel my breathing start to pick up as my heart started to race, apparently he noticed it too, taking a step closer to me. 

"Kaylee please, you need to calm down," he tells me. 

"Calm down?!" My hands becoming more clammy, and my body getting antsy, and my cheeks getting wetter, why were my cheeks wet? "I was calm!" I tell him. "I was doing just fine the way I was!"

"You're not fine, you're not sleeping. You're pushing it all away again, pretending it doesn't make you feel anything!"

"It's okay to be angry, to be sad you've lost-" he said, trying to take another step closer to me.

And that was the final straw, my fists still clenched pushing them into his chest forcing him away. "No!" 

"Stop telling me what I've lost!" I yelled, hitting him in the chest. My flood gates had been burst open and there way no way of stopping it now. "T-dog died trying to save me!" Hit. "Lori died when she thought I hated her!" Hit. "My best friend died protecting me!" Hit. "You left and used the stars against me!" Hit.

"I killed someone! I ripped their life from them, I still have his blood on my hands!"

I kept throwing my fists into his chest, as he just stood there, my arms growing tired and weak. Everything flashing through my head. James, Caroline, Shane, Nikki, Lori, T, the person I killed, even Daryl getting into that car that day. It was like I couldn't escape it. 

"Oh god, I actually killed someone."

My arms coming to a stop, coming up to my head, my fists clenching around my hair. "Make it stop, make it stop," I begged, everything starting to hurt as I fell to my knees. "Please, make it stop," I sobbed. 

I could feel myself be pulled into Daryl's chest. I tried to protest but I couldn't. He whispered in my ear "it's okay." Carefully using his hand to unclench my fists, freeing my hair, before pulling me into his lap as I continued to sob. Now my fists are wrapped around his shirt, not wanting to let go. 

"You're gonna be okay," he whispers into my hair, placing a small kiss onto my head. 

He kept his arms wrapped around me tightly, making me feel secure. It felt like home. I kept crying until there were no longer tears left, my small sobs slowly starting to die down, my heavy eyes slowly closing, before finally falling in to a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very personal for me, putting my own struggles on page was a lot but also felt great. let me know what you think, comment leave a kudos<3


	27. Chapter 27

_Daryls POV_

  
Sitting with my back against the wall as Kaylee lays her head on my chest, my arms securely wrapped around her. Yesterday wasn't the same for her, it was like all the light in her had been ripped away, and I had no one to blame but myself. 

Looking down at her peaceful, sleeping form, I carefully move a piece of hair to tuck behind her ear. Blood still stained down her neck and around her hands, I should have been here. Dark circles forming under her eyes from lack of sleep. I should have been here.

The moment I heard her scream, the thought that I'd lost her, once again. But I've already lost, haven't I? I'd rather her hate me than be dead, I kept telling myself. 

Coming up here last night might have ended up being the worst decision, but I couldn't see her like that, closed off for the rest of the world, that wasn't Lee. So I stopped her from walking away. 

"You are my family, Lee," I told her, trying to stop my voice from cracking, reaching for her, to feel her hand against mine just for a second before she pulled away with a force. 

"You left, Daryl," her words felt like knives digging into my chest. "You left me!" Her breaths started coming out more rapidly as everything started coming to the surface. Taking a step closer, "Kaylee, please, you need to calm down," I said calmly, but not calm enough, as her body got more tense, her clenched fists at her sides getting antsy. 

"Calm down?" her voiced raised once again, the walkers below us getting louder and more pilled up as her voice echoed through the field. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, I fought the urge to wipe them away. "I was calm!" she tells me. "I was doing just fine the way I was!" Her voice coming out more broken as more tears rolled down her cheeks. 

"You're not fine, you're not sleeping, you're pushing it all away again, pretending it doesn't make you feel anything!" The words flew from my mouth, she needed to hear it, she needed to break through it to start getting better. 

"It's okay to be angry, to be sad, you've lost-" and then I knew I'd gone too far. I stood there, watching as her eyes grew darker as anger filled her up. Seeing Lee angry wasn't something you'd see often, a rare thing for her bright soul, but feeling anger was a start. 

She let it out, everything overwhelming her all at once like a switch suddenly turned on. I stayed put, taking the blows to the chest she gave me as she screamed, screamed about everything that had been ripped from her, what she'd done. 

Her arms grew weaker, her arms slowly coming to a stop. The anger washing away from her eyes to be quickly filled with guilt, sadness, but mostly pain. The pain in her eyes was almost unbearable, being able to read her so well, knowing what she felt and it wasn't going away. 

"Oh God, I actually killed someone," her hands moved from my chest, quickly finding themselves tangled in with her long brown hair, her knuckles clenching so tight around the roots they turned white. 

"Make it stop, make it stop," she begged falling to her knees. "Please make it stop," she cried. Not knowing what to do or how to take her pain away, I did what I knew how, the only way with Kaylee. Dropping down beside her, before wrapping my arms around her pulling her into my chest, with slight protests coming through her cries.

"It's okay," whispering into her ear, before moving my hand and carefully unclenching her fists freeing her hair from further torture. Pulling her further onto my lap, her hands now finding their way to my shirt, holding on tightly. 

I held her close, gently running my hand through her hair, trying to comfort her any way possible. Her quiet sobs slowly dying down as her breathing evened out, it wasn't long before her eyes dropped, taking her into a deep sleep. Slowly leaning my back against the guard tower wall, I held her, never wanting to let go again. 

So that's where I stayed, watching the sun slowly start to rise beyond the treeline. Holding her a little tighter when she'd start to whimper in her sleep. 

The hatch door to the tower screeched when it started opening. Internally wincing, hoping it didn't wake her from her much needed sleep. 

Turning my head to the side, seeing Glenn making his way out immediately pulling my finger to my lip shushing him before looking back down to Kaylee, her face still soft and peaceful. 

Glenn looked from me to Kaylee, "You got her to sleep?" he asked in a hushed tone. Nodding slowly as I turned back to look at him, a smirk on his face. Raising my eyebrow to him, "whatcha want?" 

"Oh right, yeah, Rick's heading out soon, said not to bother her if she's finally out. Tell her later." 

"She's not gonna like that," I sigh, looking back down to her, gently pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. 

"Is she alright, Daryl?" his voice filled with concern. 

"She will be." 

"Just don't leave her again," he says before walking back into the guard tower. 

••••

Mid morning had reached and Rick had left with Carl and Michonne a few hours ago. Kaylee started shifting on my lap before her bright blue eyes were looking up at me. It took her a second before her eyes widened and she practically leaped off me, nearly tripping over her own foot. Sighing, I pull myself up. 

"I- uh," she started trying to look anywhere but at me, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," I tell her as softly as I can, giving her a small smile. She finally looked up at me her eyes filled with so much emotion I could see her urge to run, her fight or flight wanting to kick in. 

"I, uh, need to go," she whispers before walking into the guard tower and down. Running my hand over my face letting out a lengthy sigh. She needed her own space, I'll give that to her. 

Following down after her, watching her beeline for the cellblock and straight to Hershel, making my own way to fix something to eat for her, she hasn't eaten in days and she's only growing weaker. 

"Hershel, where's my dad?" she asked him. "He's taken Carl and Michonne on a run, should be back before dark," he tells her, offering her a small smile.

"He's gone? He just left?" I could see the tears start to well in her eyes as she took a step back, everyone's eyes trained on her, watching her closely.

As she sat on the table, no one spoke the air was quiet, but quickly broken by the strong cries of baby Judith. Beth walking into the common room, making a beeline for Lee. 

"You want to take her?" she asked her innocently, Kaylee's eyes drifted up from her feet to Beth's face, flickering between her and Judith. 

Judith's cries just got louder as tears started to form in Kaylee's eyes. I quickly walk over, handing her the bowl of porridge in my hand, her eyes darting up to me, filled with a plea to help. 

Holding my hands out, Beth giving me a confused look before handing Judith over into my arms. 

"Just eat, don't worry about anything else," I whisper to her, she gives me a small nod before taking little bites off the spoon .

The day went by fast after that, as everyone kept busy preparing for the governor to turn up for a fight. 

"How's she doing?" Hershel asked me after a while of watching Kaylee just go through the motions. 

"The best she can," I say, as he gives me a knowing nod. She wasn't okay, but she will be, I'll make sure of it. 

• • • 

_Kaylee's POV_

I could feel everyone's eyes burning into my skull as they watched me, watched me eat, watched me walk around. Daryl's eyes were constantly on me until I turned to look at him, and he turned away, but not quick enough.

Waking up in Daryl's arms again felt like home, something I hadn't felt in years. But how was I meant to trust him again? To put my faith in him that he wouldn't leave again. 

"Whatcha thinkin' bout sweetcheeks?" Merle's voice rang though my ears. "Thinking of my baby brother again?" 

Rolling my eyes and trying to keep my cool, I tell him, "what do you care?" I scoff, about to walk away. 

"Now, now, now, no need to be like that," he says. "Kaylee, just sit. Please?" he asks me. I turn to face him, a look in his eyes I can't quite figure out, but sure as hell reminded me of Daryl's looks. Sighing as I reluctantly sat down beside him on the wall. 

"How's your head?" he asks.

"What do you care?" I sigh again, picking at my nails. 

"Because you're my brother's girl, or you were, and that's my fault you're not now." My head snapped up to look at him. He wasn't laughing or joking, he looked genuinely pissed about what happened. 

"I don't trust him, he left. He left all of us, but he left." 

"Now we both know that's my fault," he tells me honestly. "I didn't really give them much choice." 

"Why are you talking to me, Merle? I thought you hated this group? My dad? For what happened in Atlanta." 

"I did, and maybe I still do," he tells me with a slight smirk before continuing. "But you're different, Daryl saw it, I see it. You grew up like us, damaged from the start, only fighting to get better, to be better. Sounding about right?"

I didn't say a word, keeping my eyes trained on his. "Now, Daryl will earn your trust back, the monsters in your head will still be there tomorrow, next week, or next year. You've just got to fight them."

"I hav-" I try and get a word in but get cut off quickly by Merle.

"You have to fight daily, it won't go away. But you're not alone now, Kaylee. He's there to fight by your side if you want him to," he tells me, my eyes drifting from him and slowly over to the angel wings on his back. Like he knows I'm watching, he slowly turns. Giving me a questioning look as to why I'm sat with Merle.

"He cares about ya. Hell, more than he probably ever did 'bout me."

"Merle, he loves you, you're his brother."

"And he loves you, you're his girl and he's worried bout ya."

"I know, it's just hard to let him in on everything," I tell him, tears gathering in my eyes. 

"One step at a time, he'll get that, just make sure he knows he still has a chance. He needs you just as much as you need him." He gives me a small smile before giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze and walking back inside the prison. I sat thinking about what Merle had said. I had to let Daryl in more, right? But I never want him to see me as weak or unworthy of him, and damn, don't I already feel that way?

All the emotions were too much to handle, making me feel like I could barely breathe from the guilt and hatred I felt for myself. 

Is that how Daryl felt about me too? I just sound stupid now. 

• • • 

The hours passed by slowly, as we continued to fortify the prison. The Governor was coming, that I was sure on.

I was passing back and forth trying to build up the courage to finally say something to Daryl, I had to. It was now or never. 

He was stood over by the cars with Glenn making sure they were in working order, ready to run if we had to. 

My eyes bouncing back and forth from him and the wall in front of me, once in a while catching Daryl look my way. Why did it feel like we were back in high school, like teenagers with stupid crushes. but one thing was true, I'd never been drawn to anyone like I had Daryl. Never been so in tune to someone else. 

"Just go talk to him, will ya? " I heard the rough voice from behind me. Spinning and seeing Merle stood behind me with his eyebrows raised. "Well?" he asked me. 

"Well what?" 

He grunted before looking to Daryl then back to me. "Talk to him, it will do you both good," he tells me, his voice softer than before. 

"And it might stop him from giving me daggers," he said, nodding his head over to Daryl. And sure enough, his eyes narrowed looking to his brother and me. 

"I will, I just need a minute." 

"Sure, sure," Merle said with a slight chuckle before walking back inside.

Taking a deep breathe and pulling myself together i sucked it up and made my way over to where Daryl and Glenn were stood. 

"Hi," I said, my voice coming out so small I hardly recognised it. Daryl kept his head down looking into the engine of the car, as Glenn looked between us both before his eyes landed on me, a sympathetic look in his eyes. 

"I uh-" I started to stutter, Daryl lifted his head to look at me, waiting for me to finish. "I uh-" Why couldn't I get past that? It's like my voice was betraying me. Come on, Kaylee, he's looking at you like an idiot, spit it out.

"Can we- uh talk?" I finally ask him, and just those three little words felt like a weight had lifted off my chest. 

"Ye," he grunted, throwing his dirty rag down onto the bonnet. Glenn gave me a questioning look but I shook my head letting him know I would be fine.  
Spinning on my heels as I started to walk away, Daryl's arm came out to stop me. 

"Not here, please." His arm drops before he gives me a nod, the desperation still lingering in my eyes. I walked away and to the guard tower, I knew no one would listen in on us up here.

Climbing to the top had become a second nature by now, the late afternoon sun beaming down on my face, the gentle breeze flowing through my hair down my neck. 

Sitting on the edge as my legs swung under me, listening to Daryl's footsteps coming up behind me before stopping and sitting next to me, his legs crossed under him. 

We sat there in silence for a while, watching the sun get lower and lower in the sky, the wind slowly dying down. It was peaceful but the tension between us didn't go away. 

Sighing, I finally spoke up. 

"I was on medication back in New York." Daryl's head spun around to face me, as he opened his mouth to say something, I cut him off. This was it, time to let it all out.

"After what happened, well, I was in therapy for a few years. But then when I finished high school early and went to pre-med, I stopped going. I still lived at home, I don't think my dad wanted me out of his sight for a long time. I was getting better, I'd graduated, and got accepted into NYU, it was everything I wanted." I looked at him, a sad smile playing on my face. 

"As soon as I finished pre-med I was ready to just move to New York, I didn't want to wait till school started again for me to move, I wanted to do it at the start of summer, just go and find myself in the process really, cliché, I know." I let out a small laugh, Daryl had a small smile on his lips too.

"Somehow my dad let me, I think a lot of it was Lori's help, she convinced him it was what I needed, so we packed up and I left by myself."

"It wasn't anything I thought, it was the first time being alone and it was great in some ways. but it slowly started getting dark and hard for me to stay above water some days." I quickly wiped a tear rolling down my face.

"The second week there, I-" I stopped myself, taking a deep breath, I felt Daryl's hand wrap around mine, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "The second week, I tried something stupid and ended up in the ER and that's when I met-"

"Nikki," he finished for me, a smile on both our faces. 

"I happened to be brought in on a super busy day, she was stressed and overworked but she still spoke to me, sat down and asked me why, instead of just calling for a psych consult and lock me up in the crazy ward." 

"She was the first person, outside of my family, that truly gave a shit. She got me back into therapy with a new therapist, got me put onto meds to help me deal with the demons. And it really helped. After that we just clicked."

"That summer, I practically moved in with her. Whenever I wasn't in therapy, I was with her either at home or in the ER learning. We never stopped and I was glad for that. Then school started up and we just added that into my schedule. School, ER, therapy, and home."

"It took a while but I got better, I felt better. I didn't have the demons running around my head anymore because I'd killed them. I'd fought the demon and won" Daryl had a look of pride on his face as I spoke, the small smile playing on his lips. 

"Then one day, we both were working in the ER. I'd just finished and gone to get changed to meet back up with Nikki just outside the ER door. There was so much screaming, I'd heard screams before but not this, it was different. I looked for her and then when I finally found her it was like everything started going in slow motion. The military were there and all I could think was "what the hell is happening, we need to leave now." My head slowly bowed down, looking at mine and Daryl's hand intertwined on my lap.

"I tried to pull her away and get us out of there, she told me to run and not stop running till I was out of the city. She wouldn't let me pull her with me, I cant- she just wouldn't. She hugged me one last time and then screamed for me to run so I did and then I heard the shots. I stopped to find her, but all I saw was the blood, the doctors and nurses laying on the floor I- I couldn't see her, I tried but there was to much I- I just ran. I ran home, got my gun and things together, and I kept running until I got out off the city, just like she told me."

"I'm sorry, Lee," he says softly, all I could do was nod in response.

"I had my meds for a while after that, I started to cut back to try and lesson the blow for when I was cut off fully. But it didn't help. The demons came back, this time with a vengeance for kicking them down all that time," I sighed, still keeping my eyes on our hands.

"When was the last time you had them?" he asked softly, 

"Since about the second week on the farm, my dad and them, none of them knew about it, that I was even on them to begin with, what I did." I tell him.

"You didn't have to tell me all this," he tells me, I turn my face to him. 

"You deserved to know the truth, Daryl, why I'm so damaged and broken, more so than before." 

"You're not damaged or broken," he tells me.

"What if I'm so lost that I can't be found again?" Tears spilled down my cheeks. 

"I found you, and I'll keep finding you, Lee. you're not broken, you're a survivor." He unhooks our hands and wraps his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. Taking a deep breath, I take him all in. God, how I missed the support and happiness I always felt in his arms. 

We sat like that for what felt like hours, the sun slowly going down further. 

"I feel like the only thing I can do right in this messed up world is love you," I tell him as I sit up, his arm drooping to around my waist. Our eyes locked onto each others, I felt the tears start to spill from my eyes.

"But I don't trust you, Daryl," the tears came faster as my voice started to break. "And I need to trust you." He nodded his head as his other hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb wiping the tears away. 

Leaning into his hand more, soaking up the feeling of Daryl's warmth as I closed my eyes. "I know Lee, I know. We can get there." 

"we will" the sadness in his voice clear, but also some hope? did he have hope?

Opening my eyes slowly again, I could see small tears gathering in Daryl's eyes. Bringing my hand up to wipe his single tears away before leaning and placing a small kiss to his cheek, lingering for a second as I whispered in his ear, "I love you Daryl," before pulling away. Standing to my feet and walking down and out of the guard tower. Wiping my tears as more ran down my face. 

I love him, but need to trust him again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi beautiful reader, leave a comment of what you think or leave a kudos if you liked it!


	28. Chapter 28

Waking up gasping for air was never a fun way to wake up. Feeling the sweat pool from my forehead, my body feeling on fire. It was still dark outside, the cell block quiet apart from a few light breaths here and there. 

I thought about trying to fall back asleep, but my eyes refused to close. The cell walls feeling like they're closing in on me. Pushing my blanket off me, swinging my legs off the bed, my feet hitting the floor before pulling myself up to my feet.

Grabbing my jacket off the top bunk and quietly stepping out of my cell, it wasn't that much of a shock seeing Daryl's back leaned up against my cell wall, his head lowered as he slept. Quietly stepping around, climbing down the metal stairs hoping my soft steps were enough not to wake anyone. 

Feeling the nights cold air hit my skin as I stepped out the door, finally being able to take a deep breath, filling my lungs with much needed air. 

The steps to the guard tower seemed to get shorter and shorter the more times my legs took me there, the climb to the top becoming less challenging each time. The view from the top getting better every time I stepped out onto the balcony.

The clouds covered the nights sky so thick not a single star was able to shine its way through. I leaned my head back against the wall as I took my necklace from my pocket; the chain was still broken. Clenching it in my hand as I slid down the wall as tears start to pool in my eyes. 

The nightmares seemed worse than before, they started including Daryl. 

Taking a few deep breaths, the tears slowly stopping from rolling down my face and I listen to the quiet moans of the walkers below me before letting sleep over take me. 

•••

"Hey," a soft southern accent came through as I felt something rub my shoulder. Slowly opening my eyes as they instantly locked with his blue.

"Hi," I smiled tiredly, moving to sit up in a better position. Daryl's hand quickly dropping from my shoulder and standing back up to his full height. 

"Is my dad back?" He gave a small nod before speaking, "yeah, got back last night after you went to your cell. He didn't wanna wake you." I nodded in understanding. 

"What you doing up here, Lee?" he asked softly. Pushing myself to my feet, stretching my back out. "I couldn't sleep, needed the fresh air," I explained. 

"Come on, your old man needs to speak to us," he tells me before making his way down the guard tower. Following down behind him, I shouldn't have been so shocked that he was waiting at the bottom with his hand held out. 

Taking his hand, I jumped off the last run, making Daryl chuckle. God it was good to hear him laugh a little again I missed that, I missed everything. I missed him. My thoughts changed to the nightmare from last night, Daryl's face covered in blood, blood everywhere seeping through his clothes. "You did this." His beautiful eyes full of pain and anger. 

"You alright?" He asks, breaking me from my thoughts only to realize I was still clutching his hand, I look back up to his face and the worried look he has.

"I'm fine," I croaked out, before Daryl took a step closer, lifting his free hand and slowly running his thumb over my cheek. He wiped away the stray tear that had broken free. 

I could barely stop myself from leaning into his touch, he slowly pulled me closer giving me enough time to pull away but I didn't. I couldn't. 

Leaning my head against his chest, taking in his scent that I missed so much, before he moved his hand to the back of my head. We just stood there for a few minutes not moving, just taking this single moment to pretend that everything was okay. 

"We should get going," he says, I'm not sure if it was more him telling me or telling himself. 

Slowly his grip loosened before letting go completely. He placed a gentle kiss to my head. Giving him a small smile that it was okay, letting go of his hand we slowly walked back to the cellblock. 

•••

Walking into the cellblock, everyone was already awake and getting their shit together for the day. Dad was reloading his gun, a determined look on his face. Something was happening. 

"You didn't say goodbye," I tell him quietly, standing next to him, looking up from his gun. He went to say something, but I cut him off. "Didn't even tell me you were going." 

"Kaylee, I'm sorry you-"

"Weren't in the right headspace, I know," I tell him letting out a small sigh. "You still should have told me."

He gave me a small nod, before pulling me into his arms. "How are you feeling now?" He whispered to me. A stray tear escaping its way down my cheek, simple words for such a loaded question. 

"Better, the sleep helped." He smiled as he pulled back letting me go "Good." 

I should tell him, tell him everything. Tell him that I wasn't doing better, that I was barely clinging on, that I felt like I've been drowning for so long that I barely know what it's like to take a real deep breath anymore. But I couldn't, I couldn't worry him anymore. 

I can get through this, I'm not alone in that. 

"So, what's going on?" I ask him.

"We're going to meet the Governor, have a sit down talk face to face," He tells me, I look at him like he was insane, this sounded insane.

"What do you mean 'we're going?'"

"I'm taking Hershel and Daryl with me." And there it was, of course Daryl was going too. Did he already know this? He didn't tell me? 

Turning my head to look at Daryl, he was preparing his own weapons before looking up to meet my eye. I quickly turned back to dad.

"When do you go?" 

"Ten minutes." Okay that wasn't very long, great. 

"I need you guys to get this place ready in the case he sends his people. We can never be too ready," he tells me. "I'm putting Glenn in charge, help him by using that smart head of yours," he adds smiling as he pokes my head. 

"Okay, Dad" I smile.

He grabs his bag off the table as everyone made their way outside, slowly following behind the group. I was worried, but Dad had this, right? 

"Lee," I heard from behind me, sending a shiver down my neck. I stopped in my tracks as I was about to step through the door, turning to see Daryl standing in front of me, crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"I wanted your dad to tell you about going out there today," he tells me in a hushed tone. 

"But you're still going." 

"I'm going to cover his ass, he can't go out there on his own," he says.

Sighing I let my eyes drift to the floor, "I know," I tell him, but what if he didn't come back again? If he gets hurt or worse, dies? Or he just leaves us-me-again. 

"Hey." I felt his hand cup my chin, moving my head to look at him. "I'm coming back," he tells me like he can read my mind.

"Please don't promise me again," I say, my voice coming out small and broken. 

"I'm not promising you; I'm telling you. I'm not making that mistake again, I'm coming home. Back to you"

Home? The prison or me? Before I had a chance to ask, he leaned down kissing my cheek so quickly you blink, and you'd miss it. Dropping his hand from my chin, stepping around me opening the gate to walk out of, I grabbed his arm stopping him.

"Be safe," I tell him, desperate to tell him I loved him, but couldn't let the words out. He nodded, not saying another word. He walked out the gate into the yard, my hand dropping from his arm. My fingers coming up tracing the spot he had kissed my cheek. 

You better come back to me, Dixon. 

Taking a few deep breaths, I finally walked outside, Hershel already climbing into the passenger side of the car, Daryl stood by Merle, both talking quietly. 

Making my way over to Dad and Carl, they wrapped up their goodbye just as I got there.

"Look after him and your sister for me, no matter what happens?" He asks me. 

"Of course, I will, Dad," I smile before he holds up his pinkie finger. Holding mine up he wrapped his around mine.

"I won't forget to do it again," he tells me. "I'll see you soon."

"Promise?" 

"Promise." He smiled, kissing my hand before pulling me into a hug.

"I love you, Kaylee." 

"Love you too, Dad" 

•••

We were all in the common room organizing the new weapons they'd found on the run yesterday. 

They'd hit the jackpot, about 30 riffles, 10 handguns, 5 shotguns and a duffle bag stuffed with extra ammo. This was the leg we needed, if Dad couldn't settle things with the Governor, we were probably headed straight into a gun fight. 

"Carl, come here," Glenn called him over, handing him two boxes of ammo. "You stash these with the loading gun, alright?" Carl nodded. 

I grabbed another two boxes "Beth?" I called, getting her attention. "Put these up on the catwalk," I tell her, handing her the extra ammo.

"If anybody gets pinned down, we need to make sure they have plenty of ammo." I tell them all, Glenn nods his head, agreeing, picking up the welding torch and his riffle, "I'll go work on the cage outside."

"What we should be doing is loading up some of this firepower in a truck and pay the governor a visit," Merle speaks up, leaned against the wall, "we know where he is right now." 

Glenn stops on his way to the gate, turning to look at Merle. He still hadn't forgiven merle for what he'd done to him and to Maggie. I couldn't blame him for that, but Merle didn't exactly help sometimes. 

"You suggesting we just go in and kill him?" He asks Merle. 

"Yeah, I am." 

"We told my dad that we'd stay put," I tell him, and he turns to face me. "I've changed my mind, being on the side lines while my brothers out there don't sit right with me."

"They're right in the middle of it, we go out there now, they don't know were coming. They could get killed or held hostage, anything. A thousand things could go wrong!"

"And they will," he says. 

"My dad can take care of himself!" Carl spoke up. 

"Sorry boy, but your dads head could be on a pike real soon," Merle tells him, a smug look on his face as Carl walks out.

"Merle!" I snap at him, his head snaps towards me his facial expression changes quickly. 

"Don't you dare say that to him!" he puts his hand up in defence. The room goes quiet, no one knowing what to say. 

"It's not the right move, not now," Glenn tells him. "Can't take the risk of putting them in the crossfire, it's my decision and it's final," he says before walking out the prison.

•••

"You okay, Kaylee?" I jump a little from my spot on the stairs, my hand clutching the piece of fabric in it. 

"Oh, hi Beth." I smiled at her, "sorry I didn't hear you." I moved over a little allowing her to sit next to me. 

"I'm okay, just trying to keep my mind distracted from worrying about them." She nods in understanding, taking a seat next to me.

"What are you doing?" She asked sweetly, smiling brightly. 

I showed her the piece of fabric in my hand and chuckled slightly. "Practicing my stitches, it helps take my mind of things. I have to concentrate, otherwise I'll jab a needle in my finger," I tell her, making her laugh. 

"Can you show me?" She asked. Smiling at her, giving her a nod, I flattened the fabric back over my knee starting a new row of stiches. She watched me intensely until voices started to rise, coming from the common room. 

"I don't need permission!" I heard Merles voice, sighing I set my needle down. 

"If you're gonna live with us, it's gonna be on our terms." Maggie's voice came out next. "If Michonne can do it, why can't you?"

"Cause it's my brother out there, that's why!" Merles voice came out in a shout. "what's the matter with you people?"

Standing to my feet, Beth followed behind me before the sounds of a crash and shouts came from the room. Picking up my speed stepping through the gate my eyes land on Merle on top of Glenn, grabbing at his face. Michonne and Maggie were trying to pull him off him.

Pulling my gun from its holster and holding it in the air I let off a shot, causing them all to stop and look at me.

"Let me go!" Merle shouted at Maggie and Michonne, trying to push them off him. Holstering my gun, I made my way over to him just as they let go of him.

Pushing him back, his body hitting the wall. "You don't think we give a shit?!" My voice rose. His face softened as he looked at me. I could feel the anger boiling up inside me. Michonne quickly left the room, I could still feel Maggie and Glenn's presence behind me. 

"That's our family out there, too" I reminded him, my voice lowering. "I am barely holding it together as it is, the man I love is out there. You don't think I wanna go, too? But we can't, so let's suck it up and do what the hell we're supposed to be doing, Daryl can handle it out there, let's handle it here. Got it?" 

He gave me a small nod before I walked away back into the cellblock. What the hell was Merle's problem? Completely different from the guy getting me to talk to Daryl. He hated the rest of the group; he wants his brother safe. I get that, I want that, but we had to trust in Daryl, Dad and Hershel. They've got this. 

•••

Sitting on the floor of my cell, my eyes focused on the needle going through the fabric, making sure each stitch was perfect. My brain trying to focus on this and only this, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my fingers. 

"They're back," Carl's voice echoed into my cell, oh thank god. I dropped the fabric on the bed as I stood to my feet, any longer and my fingers would start bleeding. 

Following everyone out of the cellblock and into the courtyard just as they got out of the car, my eyes immediately finding Daryl, a weight was lifting off my chest. He was back and alive. 

Dad looked out to the field, his eyes crossing from one corner to the other. "Let's get inside," he tells us. 

As we all stood around the cellblock, Dad took a second to check in on a sleeping Judith. Walking out of the cell, his riffle in hand, he looked to us all. 

"So, I met this Governor," he tells us, "sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle asks him, and he nods. 

"We should have gone when we had the chance," he says, looking to me. I shook my head; this wasn't the time.

"He wants the prison," Dad carries on, "He wants us gone, dead." I can see Dad bite the inside of his cheek, he doesn't like this but has a plan, he must.

"He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." My body tenses as he speaks. I can see everyone else getting more antsy, too. 

"We're going to war," Dad tells us before walking out of the cellblock, Carl following him. 

Everyone started talking over each other. Carol suggested we try and make it back on the road. Merle obviously want to hit them first. What do we do? 

Scanning the room, my eyes land were they always do: Daryl. He was looking at me, his face full of emotion. He wanted to fight. 

He gave me a questioning look, silently asking me if I could do this. I nodded slightly before going back to organizing the weapons. 

Could I really do it? War? Well, I guess I have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but sweet, leave a comment or a kudos and let me know what you think I'd love to know!


	29. Chapter 29

_Daryl's POV_

  
Waking up this morning, I shouldn't have been shocked to see Kaylee not in her cell again. She was becoming more like her old self again, especially the part when we first met; hardly speaking, stealing glances whenever we could.

Holding her for those few moments yesterday were burnt into my brain, I wanted to get back to that, back to us.

Making my way down the steps, rick motioned for me to follow him. Coming out of the prison gate, the early morning sun was shining in my eyes.

I spot Maggie and a tired looking Lee coming out of the guard tower before making their way inside. Rick pulled me to the side just as Hershel made his way over to us and Rick started to speak.

"He wants Michonne," he tells us. "We give him Michonne and he leaves us alone."

"And you agreed to this?" I ask him, unsure whether this was the best decision for the group.

"It's our only choice," he sighs, "no one else knows."

"You gonna tell them?" I ask. Hershel just stood silently.

"Not till after its done. It will have to be today"

"You at least got a plan?" He seemed to have it all figured out.

"You tell her we need to talk, away from the others." I look to Hershel, his face says it all. He didn't want to do this either.

"It ain't just us, man," I tell rick, this didn't feel right.

"No, no it isn't," Hershel said before walking away, leaving just me and rick.

"Do this and we avoid a fight, no one else dies." He looked sure, his mind was made up.

"Alright," I nod giving in. "Got it"

"We need someone else," he tells me giving me a pointed look, he meant Merle. 

"I'll talk to him."

"No I'll do it," he tells me before walking back into the prison, headed for D block were Merle was.

•••

We were in the field, placing the barbed wires from the fence just after the gates, stopping any vehicles wanting to drive in.

I hadn't seen Kaylee since she came out of the guard tower this morning, she wasn't with Maggie and Carl in the dog runs distracting the walkers, or with Hershel and Judith.

Jumping in the back of the pickup with Glenn, Beth drove us back up to the courtyard. Rick was waiting at the top to let us back in.

"Try to drive up to the gate again, maybe some blown tires will stop them," Glenn explains to him.

"That's a good idea," he nods.

"It was Michonne's," I tell him.

"We don't have to win, we just have to make their getting us more trouble than its worth," Michonne adds, walking over to us. Rick stopped for a second looking to all of us, probably second guessing his decision he made.

"Let's go," he tells us as Maggie and Carl get back from the dog runs. Everyone starts to follow behind Rick, I reach out stopping Maggie in her tracks.

"Where's Kaylee?"

"She took off to D earlier, said she wanted to check in with Merle," she tells me. "I haven't seen her since."

I raise my eyebrow at her, causing her to shrug. I'd seen them sat talking before, I didn't want him talking his shit to her, making her head worse.

"She'll be fine, Daryl," Maggie says, "Merle weirdly listens to her, and actually likes her unlike the rest of us"

"Yeah, thanks Maggie," I nod to her before walking inside spotting Kaylee sat at one of the tables, she still looked tired but a hint of angry, too.

"See?" Maggie smiled.

•••

"Merle?" I called walking through the tombs, "you down here?"

"Merle!" I called again, hearing something banging from the generator room. Holding my crossbow up I opened the door walking in lowering it as soon as I spotted him leaned up against one of the machines.

"Hey little brother," he smiles.

"What the hell?" I ask him, confused to why he was down here.

"I was just about holler back to you," he chuckled.

"What you doing down here?" I asked, looking around.

"Just uh-" he stuttered, "looking for something to take the edge off," he tells me, stepping to block me. I shook my head, of course drugs.

"Yeah I know," he says. "I shouldn't ruin my life when everything's going so sweet," he chuckled.

"You talk to rick yet?"

"Yeah, oh yeah," he smiles, "I'm in, but he ain't got the stomach for it," he tells me. "He's gonna buckle, you know that right?"

"Yeah," I agree, "if he does he does." I shrug.

"You want him to?" he questions me, raising his eyebrow.

"Whatever rick says goes"

He scoffs, "Do you even have balls little brother? Are they even attached?"

"Now here I thought if you didn't have them, then Kaylee would, but officer friendly?" He laughs again, "what happened to you? You used to call people like that sheep." 

"What happened with you and Glenn and Maggie?" I fire back at him.

"I've done worse" he shrugs, "ain't that what you're gonna do now? Snatch up Michonne and deliver her to the governor just like I did? People do what they gotta do, or they die," he tells me.

I shake my head, "can't do things without people anymore man."

"Maybe that's why I'm here huh? To do their dirty work, be the bad guy, how's that hit you?"

I sigh, placing my hand on his shoulder, "I just want my brother back."

"I'm here man," he tells me honestly, and for the first time since he came back I can see my brother.

"What's going on with Kaylee?" I ask him, dropping my hand. He let out a laugh "Why, jealous little brother?"

"Shut up, man." I roll my eyes.

"She's really been through it," he sighs.

"She tell you?" he shakes his head, I didn't think she would have. It took her months to tell me.

"I can just tell she's been through the ringer." I nod my head agreeing.

"I was just giving her some advice little brother, I actually like her. She's smart and has an attitude." I laughed.

"Yeah she does, stubborn to hell too."

"Just don't screw it up again, that's all."

"Don't plan on it," I tell him as I walk back out. Finding out Merle was giving Kaylee advice was different. He wasn't normally like that, but I was glad.

•••

I'd been trying to find Kaylee, she seemed to be one spot for a second then vanishing the next. I headed into the courtyard where Beth said she thought she saw her go on watch, after reloading her gun.

"Hey!" Rick shouted, getting my attention, making his way over to me.

"It's off," he tells me. "We'll take our chances."

I nod, agreeing with him. "I'm not saying it was the wrong call, but this is definitely the right one. 

"Why'd you change your mind?"

"Kaylee," he says, "She heard me talking to Merle and confronted me on it, told me I was making a stupid choice and the easy way out. She wasn't happy." So that's why she looked angry earlier, she knew what was happening with Michonne. But Rick still looked worried.

"What is it?"

"I can't find Merle or Michonne," he tells me, shit he didn't. "They've gone."

"Come on!" I tell him, running back into the tombs to where Merle was earlier.

"He was in here," I tell him when we get to the room, "said he was looking for drugs. Said a lot of things, actually," I sighed.

"Like what?" Rick asked.

"Said that you were gonna change your mind," I tell him before spotting a rag on the floor with wire cutting underneath. "Yeah he took her here, he mixed it up"

"Damn it!" Rick sighed, "I'm going after them"

"You can't track for shit," I tell him, "well then the both of us," he says.

"No, just me. I said I'll go so I'll go," I tell him. "Plus, when we get back you need to be ready." He nods, agreeing before I make my way out the side door.

It didn't take long for me to pick up their tracks, but that wasn't the only thing I spotted. Two sets of tracks one behind the other, male and female, and just behind that barely leaving a trace was another footprint; small ones that I'd learnt to pick out from any print.

God damn it Kaylee, I should never have taught her to track. Why was she out here following them?

I kept following their tracks, three tracks quickly turning into only one. Stopping, I noticed tire tracks cutting from an off the beat track onto the main road, they'd got into a car.

Kaylee's tracks got wider apart, as she picked up her pace to catch up to the car. She wasn't too far ahead of me, these tracks were relatively new. Picking up my pace, I follow after her.

•••

"Hey!" I shout, spotting Michonne a few yards up ahead, stabbing her katana through a walker's severed head.

"Where's Kaylee and my brother?" I ask her, coming to a stop in front of her.

"He let me go," she tells me, a confused look on her face.

"So where the hells Kaylee?" If he let her go, then why was she still going after him?

"She half hour ahead of you, said she had to do it," she shrugs. Sighing I walk past her, "Don't let anyone else come after me!" I shout back to her, picking up my speed into a run, hoping to catch up to Kaylee before she gets herself killed.

It didn't take long before her figure came into view in the distance. She was walking but still at a hurried pace, her riffle slung over her shoulder.

"Kaylee!" I shouted, she stopped for a second before starting to walk again, trying to speed up.

"Kaylee!" I shouted again this time getting closer, again nothing. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her to a stop.

"Daryl!" She pulled her arm away from me.

"What the hell are you doing Lee?" My voice was raised, the anger coming out clear. She just looked at me. "Why are you going after him?"

"Because someone had to!" she shouts, before sighing. "This isn't who Merle is, or at least not who I've gotten to know over the last few days." I came out here to stop him, Daryl. To not turn over Michonne because we both know how wrong that is." She looks at me with determination in her eyes.

"He let her go, Kaylee. You can go back."

"Don't you get it? That means he's planning on going to the governor by himself to do god knows what."

"So what are you going to do, Kaylee?"

"Give him some damn backup!" She has that stubborn look in her eyes, there was no way of talking her out of this.

She's right, of course she is. I had no idea what Merle was planning on doing, but it couldn't be good. I open my mouth to say something before gunshots ring off in the distance.  
"So are we going to stand here and keep arguing or are we gonna go help your brother?" She asks me.

"Let's go," I tell her, and she's off running in the directions of the gunfire. I didn't like that she was putting herself in harm's way for others, but this was Kaylee were talking about.

Stubborn and fierce Kaylee Grimes would do anything for the ones she loves, and she'd never give up for anyone, not even Merle.

That's why I fell in love with her.

•••

We came to a stop at the old car garage where the meeting between Rick and the Governor was held yesterday. It was silent, no sign of people anywhere.

"We've got to look around, somethings not right," Kaylee says, looking around.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming out here Lee?"

"Because you would have tried to stop me, and I didn't need stopping. Merle did."

"But it doesn't have to be you that stopped him, I was coming out here to just do that."

"I know Daryl, okay?" She sighs before spinning around to face me. "Merle was there when I wasn't in the right head space, okay? He got through to me, he got me to talk to you again. I just felt like he needed someone to get through to him too."

"Thanks for helping put him straight. Maggie said he listens to you."

"Yeah, if shouting at him counts then sure." She smiles a little, just enough to see it light up her eyes.

As there's always a good moment, a bad is quickly to follow.

Walkers coming from behind the building heading straight for us, I side stepped in front of Kaylee pulling my crossbow of my shoulder quickly loading it. Kaylee behind pulling her knife out.

Taking out the walkers that came towards us was quick work, Kaylee now stood beside me. Turning my head to her, using my fingers to point signal to her, she quickly nodded understanding what I had meant.

We walked around the corner of the building more walkers, on the floor feeding on other bodies. They noticed live flesh, getting up from the meals they headed towards us.

Loading my crossbow before aiming and pointing it at the walkers and firing. Kaylee let out a scream from behind me, quickly turning around I grabbed the back of her shirt pulling her backwards away from the walker as I swung my crossbow through its head. 

"Daryl," her voice was shaky, uneven. I looked around more walkers coming our way, too many for just us to take care of. "Shit!" I gritted out, I loaded my crossbow once again, three bolts left.

Kaylee swung her knife into the base of a walkers skull before kicking it off her knife, they were getting close. 

"Come on," I said to her, turning around running back around the corner of the building, Kaylee grabbed my arm pulling me to a stop. 

"We can't leave him," she gives me a pointed look. I sigh, "He's not here Lee, he's gone." She shakes her head, this wasn't the time to be stubborn. 

"He wouldn't leave you again, Daryl." 

"Then you don't know shit, do you?" I shake my head before turning back, pulling my arm out of her grip. I started walking away before it hit me what I just said, I could hear her quiet footsteps behind me, so I knew she was close but so where the walkers. We had to get out of there.

I pushed one of the doors opening, hoping that cutting through the building gives us more space between us and them. 

I turned my head a few times Kaylee on my heels, a stone look on her face, but this was something that could be dealt with later.

I pulled the last door open and we were on the other side of the building, a good enough gap between us where we could get out without being followed. 

I held the door open for Kaylee as she walked through with a roll of her eyes. 

I looked behind me into the building, some walkers finding themselves in there, closing the door behind me doing my best to jam it shut. 

"Daryl, we need to go," Kaylee said as she takes down the stragglers getting too close. I kicked the door one more time for good measure. 

Turning, I came face to face with a walker, pushing it back so its back hit the floor. That when I saw it, saw him.   
Merle. 

He growled at me as he clawed his way back to his feet, I felt like my whole body had frozen. 

He kept coming closer, a whole in his chest where he was shot, and killed. He was dead, he was worse than dead, he was a walker.

I could hear a sob erupt from inside me, the tears falling down my cheeks. When he got closer, I pushed him away again, the knife on this metal stump slicing my arm as I did so. 

I could feel Kaylee's shaky hands land on my shoulder trying to pull me back, "D-Daryl."

"No!" I shout turning and pushing her off me, not seeing where she landed as I turned back to my brother or what use to be him. 

I kept pushing him away, but he kept coming back. grabbing him by the scruff of his clothes, pushing him back on to the floor with a scream filled with rage and heartbreak. I fell to my knees beside him holding my knife out, stabbing it into his head, once, twice, again and again as tears flooded out of me, my breath coming out heavy. 

I fall to my back my knife falling to the ground, my body shaking hands covered in blood. 

Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon. 

He was gone, my big brother, a piece of me, never coming back. 

I felt Kaylee's arms wrap around me again, this time I leaned into her as I cried. I couldn't stop it if I wanted to. She held me as tight as she could, small droplets falling on to my head as tears leave her eyes. 

She lifted her head up, "Daryl we gotta go," she said her voice filled with urgency. I lifted my head, the space between us and the walkers quickly closing in.

"We have to go," she says again before pulling herself then me up to our feet. Looking back to the walkers they were getting to close, picking my crossbow off the floor and quickly loading it Kaylee pulled her gun out we fired on the closest walkers. 

Throwing the crossbow back over my shoulder, I lent down and picked up Merle's body. Kaylee kept firing before holstering her gun and we started to run as fast as we could.

Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW/ talks about past sexual assault

It was late into afternoon by the time Daryl and I got back to the prison. Glenn opened the gates for us, the cars all parked out front, everyone loading their stuff into the trunks. 

"Fill us in later," I tell him, before quickly making my way over to the shovels, grabbing two. 

Walking back to Daryl, his eyes still red and glassy. I've never seen so much pain on his face before, and there was nothing I could do to help that. 

"We don't have time, Kaylee, the governor is probably on his way."

"We're going to bury your brother," I tell him, not taking no for an answer. 

"I'll help watch out for the walkers," Michonne offers, walking over to us. I give her a small smile before nodding my head to Daryl.

We head into the field and down to the other graves that had been dug. The one meant for me always sending a shiver down my spine. 

Daryl laid Merle's body on the ground as we got to work digging, Michonne killing the walkers that got remotely close to us.

With both of us digging, and the added threat of the walkers, and the governor about to turn up on our doorstep, we finished burying him quickly. Daryl didn't say anything, giving the grave one last look before walking back up to the courtyard. 

•••

Glenn had filled us in, well, me. After we buried Merle, Daryl had stayed clear of the group completely. I couldn't blame him, he just lost his brother. 

Wiping the tear from my cheek thinking about Merle, I got back to packing my cell, double counting the medical supplies already in my bag.

Dad had come clean to the group, telling them about the deal the governor had offered. He gave them the choice and let them decide if we stayed and fight or we leave. They chose both. 

It was a good plan, if done right. We were packing up everything and making it look like we had fled, when we will actually be waiting for them. 

Hershel and Beth were taking Carl and Judith with them to the woods, it was the safest place for them. This was killing Carl, he wanted to be here fighting with us. 

I threw my bag over my shoulder before heading out of my cell and down the steps, passing Hershel packing up the last of our medical supplies. 

Everyone else was gathered outside loading bags into the cars, making sure the engines were running okay, in case we did actually have to run. I watched Carl throw his bag into the back of the truck with a huff, dad trying to stop him from walking away, but he just barged past him.

"I've never seen him this mad," Glenn says. "Even with Lori, he just shut down."

"It's easy to forget he's still a kid," I tell him, walking away towards Daryl, who was working on his bike. 

"I need to take a look at your arm," I tell him, pointing out the dried up blood from the slash that Merle's knife had given him. 

"You know Merle's never done anything like that in his whole life?" he tells me as I kneel next to him.

"He gave us a chance," I tell him, pulling supplies out of my bag and cleaning up his arm before wrapping it with a bandage. 

Putting everything back in my bag, I offer my hand to him as we both stand up. There's so much emotion behind his eyes as they meet mine, more worried than anything else.

"I'm okay, I can do this," I reassure him. "Yeah, I know," he smiles. 

"I have to go get loaded up," I tell him, he gives me a small nod. "Stay safe today," he squeezes my hand.

"You too." There's so much more I wanted to say but I don't, I turn around and head back into the prison to get everything I needed ready to fight.

•••

Pulling one of the vests over my head, making sure it was secure to my body, I wasn't taking any chances today as I grabbed a helmet too. 

Grabbing my rifle and two extra clips, I headed to the bridge where Maggie and I were to be. Glenn was hidden in the courtyard behind on of the caged entrances into the prison with Carol. While dad, Daryl, and Michonne were waiting in the tomb with flash bangs ready. 

"Hey," I said as I crouched down next to Maggie. The courtyard was quiet, the faint, distant moans from walkers coming from the field could be heard. But other than that, it was silent, eerily silent as we waited for them. 

"Are you ready for this?" she asks me, I smile at her, "are you?" 

She chuckles a little before making sure her rifle was ready. I went to do the same but my eyes caught the light bouncing of Maggie's hand. 

"Maggie what the hell is that?" I asked her. She looked to me confused before realising my eyes were staring at her hand. 

"Me and Glenn got married, I guess," she smiled.

"You got married, you guess?!" 

She laughed a little, "it was just us two, and there aren't really weddings anymore, so, yeah, married " 

"You should have told me." 

"You had a really hard day, I didn't want to throw my happiness in your face. It didn't seem the right time," her smile dropped.

"Oh, Mag's, no matter what happened, I'm always going to be happy for you. You're my best friend, you deserve this." I pulled her into a hug, she hugged me back, tight, before pulling back.

As we pulled back, we saw Glenn and Carol making their way to their positions. "Congrats, pizza man!" I shouted to him. I see him roll his eyes but he still smiled. 

Dad, Daryl, and Michonne came out the prison door, standing in the courtyard between us all. 

"Okay, you all know the plan, let them come in. Let them think were gone, then we run them out, everyone got it?" dad asked us all, we nodded. 

"Okay then, let's go," he said to Daryl and Michonne before heading back into the prison. Daryl looked over to me before following them both inside. 

"How's that going?" Maggie asked, pulling her helmet on. 

"I don't know if its going anywhere anymore," I sigh.

"Kay, Daryl Dixon is madly in love with you. Yeah, he fucked up," my eyes go wide a little from hearing Maggie swear, she rarely did so. She rolled her eyes at me. "But he came back, and he stuck by you through what happened."

"Me killing a dude, and trying to hide all my emotions, then breakdown in his arms?" I asked her sarcastically. 

"Yeah, that. He loves you, Kaylee, you should be with the person you love." 

"Even after today? He probably doesn't even trust me anymore." 

"Then make him trust you again, fight for him. It wasn't that long ago you didn't trust him," she points out. 

"Yeah, you're right."

"Aren't I always?" she smiles smugly, I smack her arm playfully. 

"If we survive today, I'll go fight for him back."

•••

It felt like hours we were waiting for the governor to show up with his men, but then the sounds of cars and trucks were getting closer. 

I lifted my head, peeking over the metal table that protected me. I counted as the vehicles got closer, five trucks and cars filled with people. 

Someone fired at the guard tower on the outer perimeter of the fence, it exploded into flames. 

"Shit," I crouched back down, Maggie handed me my helmet and I put it on. 

More gunfire could be heard, it got louder and louder as it sounded like more people started shooting, they were heavily armed that, was for sure.

More explosions went off, as the gunfire continued, then all stopped. 

I poke my head around the side looking threw a small gap, down to the field. There had to be at least 30 people and they had a 50 cal.

Moving back, I looked to Maggie. I was more scared now but there was nothing I could do. I was here and I had to fight.

They used one of the trucks to barge down the fence, getting into the courtyard, the people piled in behind it. I looked to Maggie, telling her to shush and get lower. We both moved down lower so we weren't caught.

It sounded like they used the truck to pull open one of the gates. "Go, go, go," was heard as the sound of footsteps slowly disappeared into the prison. 

It wasn't long before that we could hear the sounds of the flashbangs going off, then the alarms. The sounds of screams getting closer to us meant the plan was working. 

Poking my head around again before looking to Maggie giving her a nod that they were back out in the courtyard, we jumped up, firing our weapons. 

"Get out of here," screamed Glenn, shooting from his spot.

I pulled Maggie down behind cover as they started firing back at us, giving cover for the rest to run. 

It wasn't long before they jumped back into their vehicles and drove away. Maggie and I stood fully, pulling the helmets off our heads.

"We did it?" she asks Glenn as he and Carol come out of the gate. 

"We did it, come down," he tells us.

Maggie smiles, high fiving me before making her way down. Laughing, I follow her.

Stepping out the gate, dad, Michonne, and Daryl made their way out of the tombs, gasmasks in hand. 

Daryl looked over to me, I gave him a small nod letting him know that I was okay.

We all walked down to the gate. "We did it," dad says. "We drove them out."

"We should go after them," Michonne says.

"We should finish it," Daryl adds, nodding. I look to him but he doesn't meet my eye.

"It is finished, didn't you see them hightailing it out of here?" Maggie says.

"They could regroup, come back", I point out. 

"We can't take the chance," Glenn says. "he's not gonna stop." 

"They're right, we can't keep living like this," Carol joins in.

"So we take the fight back to Woodbury? We barely made it back last time," Maggie points out. My eyes land back on Daryl's as he looks to me, both thinking of the same thing.

What happened last time he left for Woodbury.

"He won't care, this isn't going to end unless we end it," Glenn says, more determined now.

"Yeah, come on, let's go check on the others," dad tells us, turning around going back into the prison.

•••

We were back in the common room organizing the supplies we would need to take to Woodbury. 

Hershel, Carl, and Beth, with Judith in her arms, made it back to the prison, not having gone too far. Dad checks on Judith, giving her a small kiss on her head before Beth went to lay her down. He kneeled down to hug Carl but he stopped him. 

"Dad, I'm coming to Woodbury," he tells him. Dad sighs clearly, wanting him to stay here and who could blame him. "Carl-" he tried, just to be cut off. 

"I did my job out there, just like all of you," he tells him. "I took out one of the governors soldiers." My head darts up from reloading clips. 

"One of his soldiers?" Hershel asked "A kid running away, he stumbled across us." 

"No, he drew on us," my eyes go wide a little. Carl shouldn't have had to do that, he's still a kid. But was he? Still a kid?

"I'm sorry you had to do that," dad tells him.

"It's what I was there for," he says before walking away. Hershel shakes his head before turning to dad. "The kid was scared, handing his gun over." 

"He said he drew," dad says. "Carl said it was in defence." Hershel shakes his head again, "I was there, he didn't have to shoot, he had every reason not to." 

"Maybe you didn't see what he saw, maybe-"

"Rick," Hershel cut him off, "I'm telling you, he gunned that kid down." 

I didn't know what to think, I didn't think Carl was capable of doing something like that. 

•••

Everyone started to pack up what they needed to take with them and headed out to the cars. My hands were starting to shake from the more I thought about going with them.

Beth, Carol, and Hershel were staying behind with Judith, and dad had finally got carl to agree to stay behind, but he still wasn't happy.

I placed my rifle down on the table, watching Daryl head for the door. Walking quickly, I grabbed his arm stopping him. 

"What?" he asked, his face full of confusion. "I'm not going," I tell him. 

"I need to stay here, Carl needs me, and I don't think I'm ready for this," I tell him honestly. He nods, understanding. 

"He might come back while we're gone."

"I know, but I need to be here."

"Okay," he says, going to turn around again before I stop him. He looks down at me, confused, before I stepped up on my toes, my hand going to his cheek and pulling him closer to me, my lips finding his, kissing them. 

His hands found my waist as he pulls my body closer to his, kissing me back with more force, filled with so much emotion. He pulled back to look at me, waiting for me to answer his silent question.

"I couldn't wait anymore, I want to be with you, Daryl. As long as I'm alive I want to be here in your arms. That's if you'll have me?" I ask, a small smile playing on my lips. 

He answers by pulling me back towards him, kissing me again, more slow this time, his grip on my hips getting tighter, like he never wanted to let go. 

This time it was me that pulled back. "You have to go," I tell him, reminding him he still had a task to do. 

He rests his forehead against mine, letting out a deep sigh. "Come home to me, Dixon," I tell him.

"Always." He kisses my head one more time before heading out the door. 

It wasn't long before I head out behind him, everyone stood around the cars. 

"Rick, we're staying," Glenn tells him, pointing to Maggie and himself. "We don't know where the governor is, if he comes back, we'll hold him off." 

"Just the three of us, alright," Daryl says. Dad looks to me, "I'm staying here, Carl needs his sister," I tell him, he gives me a nod. "I appreciate y'all staying," he says to Glenn and

Maggie before pulling me aside.

"Watch out for him," he tells me. "You know I will," he nods, knowing I'm right. "I've got it here, you go get it out there," I tell him, holding my pinky out.

He wraps his around mine, "I'll see you soon, promise," he tells me kissing my pinky. Smiling big, I do the same, "promise."

He pulls me into a quick hug before pulling back and making his way over to the car, Daryl was sat on his bike, ready to go.

Glenn got the gate, allowing them to drive through as we killed the walkers trying to get into the courtyard. 

Now all we had to do is wait.

•••

I was pacing back and forth on the catwalk waiting for them to come back, it had been hours, and we were way into the night. 

"Kaylee, they'll be okay," Maggie tells me, for what feels like the 17th time in the last hour. 

"I know, I just cant help it I should have gone with them, then I wouldn't be standing here doing nothing, feeling useless," I sigh. 

"Hey you stayed for a reason, okay?" She places her hand on my shoulder, "they'll be back soon."

"So, did you tell Daryl?" she asks changing the conversation. 

"You're really invested in this, aren't you?" I laugh. "How couldn't I be?" she says like I should already know.

"Yes, I told him, we're okay," I blush a little, remembering the moment I had with Daryl earlier. 

Maggie's face beams. "You know, you look happier now than you did when you told me you were married." 

"That doesn't matter," she waves me off. "Do you think it's time to tell your dad?" 

"I don't know, we just got happy again and everything going on-" 

"That's all about to be over and you two could actually be openly happy instead of having to hide it. Plus, I won't have to keep it a secret any longer." 

"Yeah, maybe I should tell him, maybe it's time." She nods, agreeing. 

"I'll think about it, okay? Now, I have to go check on Carl," I tell her, giving her a small smile before heading down the steps, making my way to Carl's cell. 

"Hey bud," I say standing in the doorway, he looks up from the old comic book in his hand before turning back to it. Sighing, I step in, taking a seat on the bed next to him. 

"I heard what happened." 

"I did what I had to do," he says, not looking up from his comic.

"I'm just checking to see how you are," I tell him. "I wasn't feeling so good after what happened that day in the field." 

He lifts his head, placing his comic book down. "He had just attacked us." 

"I know." 

"I just don't want anyone else to die or get killed like mom," he says, his voice coming out innocent. Putting my arms around him I pull him into a hug. "Me either." 

I heard him start to cry lightly into my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me, making me hold him tighter. 

"It's getting late, you should get some sleep." He nods his head, his arms loosening their grip as he scoots back on the bed laying down. 

"Kaylee, can you stay with me?" he asks, tears still in his eyes. "Of course," I smile, kicking my boots off and laying down beside him, gently stroking his arm till he fell asleep, and I slowly followed. 

•••

"Kaylee," I heard someone say as they gently tapped my shoulder. "They're back." my eyes shot open. I go to sit up as Carl jumps up beside me, jumping off the bed and out the cell. 

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I pull my boots on, before standing beside Maggie. The sun had started to rise, shining through the small prison windows. 

"They brought people back."

"People?" I ask her, confused. 

"People from Woodbury, your dad will explain," she tells me. I give a confused nod, still trying to fully wake my brain up. 

I followed her outside, looking through the crowd of people piling off an old school bus for my dad and Daryl. 

Standing on tip toes I spot them both leaning against the truck, in deep conversation.

I weave my way threw the crowd of people, it was like Daryl knew I was there, his head turning to face me, our eyes locking. 

My mind went back to the conversation with Maggie, maybe I should tell dad. Not having to hide our relationship, it was time. I could feel the smile getting bigger on my face.

"Kaylee?" I heard from behind me, I stopped dead in my tracks like my body had just hit a brick wall. A chill running down my spine as the smile is wiped of my face.

I watch as Daryl's face grows more concerned and dad had turned to face me, but was now looking behind me. 

I slowly turned, my body already beginning to shake.

"Mom?"

There she was, standing in front of me like a day hasn't passed in ten years. Her brown hair still long, the same as mine. The only way you could tell time had passed was by looking at her eyes, they told it all.

"Kaylee, baby," she smiled, taking a step closer, I took a small step back. "You're okay, you're alive! I can't believe I found you!"

There was lump in my throat, my body starting to shake more as the seconds passed, I just stared at her.

"We can finally be a family again," she took a step forward again this time grabbing my wrist holding me where I was. We can put everything in the past and move on." I try to pull my wrist away, but she just squeezes tighter.

"Don't you want that, Kaylee? To be a family again?"

"No," I barely let out, my voice shaking just as much as my body, her grip tightening around my wrist.

"Can't you just move on and forget about the past?" Her voice comes out less happy this time.

"Forget?" my voice comes out louder this time. "You want to forget?"

She nods.

"Forget what that your husband raped me?!" My voice continuing to get louder by each word. "Your daughter!" I felt a pair of hands grab my shoulders trying to pull me away, I shrugged them off while pulling my wrists from her grip.

"While you stood there and watched!" I shouted, taking a step closer to her this time, I felt the blind rage building up inside me and I couldn't hold it off any longer. "Is that what you want to forget?" I felt the arms wrap around me as they tried to pull me back, it just made me fight harder. 

"I was ten!!" I screamed, and then everything stopped. My brain caught up with what I had just said. I stopped struggling against who I now realised was dad.

"I was ten," I said again, this time coming out more broken. I felt dad's arms wrap around me once more before I pushed him off me. 

I notice the crowd of people that had gathered around us, listening and watching everything that had just happened. 

My eyes land to Carl stood in the front of the crowd looking directly at me, as was everyone else. My friends, family, people I hadn't met all looking at me. I could feel the tears start to form in my eyes as I took a step backwards.

Turning around, my eyes landed on Daryl, a murderous look in his eyes. He tried to stop me as I pushed past him, but I kept walking away, quickly picking it up into a run. I had to get out of there.


	31. Chapter 31

Getting to the top of the guard tower, I nearly trip over the newly placed mattress on the floor.

That's what Maggie was doing. 

Sighing, I walk out onto the balcony, walking around the other side so the people in the courtyard couldn't see me.

My mind was racing a million miles an hour, more than it ever had, her image of her face burning into my brain, the pain around my wrist still throbbing. 

She was here, she was actually here. standing right down there in the courtyard. Why? 

No, not why, how! How was she here? When she was sentenced they gave her 15 years.

15 years!

But she must have gotten out early on good behavior? Why would they let someone like her ever out and now she was here.

I slide down the wall till I hit the metal floor, my hand wrapping around my wrist rubbing it slowly, my necklace in my free hand gripped tightly.

She was here, did that mean he was to? My chest started to feel more heavy as tears spilled from my eyes. Flashes of him standing above me.

"No, no, no," I practically beg my own mind to stop me from this spiral I was heading into, not again I couldn't do this again.

I bring my head into my hands, trying to slow down my breathing. He wasn't here he couldn't be right? He was never supposed to be allowed a reduced sentence. What he got was what he was to serve, but she was released early could he have been too? No, he can't be, he would have shown his face by now, right? Or he would have been by her side at every moment. No, he wasn't here.

But she was and she wasn't leaving was she?

•••

A few hours passed by as I sat there watching the wind blow through the trees, the sun slowly starting its descent in the sky, the birds flying like nothing's changed in the world, watching silently.

"Hey Bean." Dad's voice broke me out of the gaze, looking up at him slightly confused, he chuckled sitting down beside me.

"I know I haven't called you that in a long time."

"Since I was 13."

"I'm sorry, I should have checked everyone before they got on that bus. She should have never been able to come here."

"It's not your fault dad, don't blame yourself." He sighed, placing his arm around me, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm okay, you know," I tell him, hugging him back. Was I telling him that or me?

"Are you sure?" he asks me. I nod.

"I talked to the others." I went tense slightly. "We all agreed, it's your choice if she stays." I pull away to look at him. "What?"

"What she's done, bean, that was to you, so it's your decision and whatever you decide, we'll agree. If you want her gone, I'll do it myself," he says, a little determined.

"No, dad." I shake my head. "She can stay, it's fine." Kaylee what are you saying?

"But-"

"No, you said it was my choice, right?" He nods his head. "Then that's it, if we kick her out, that's as good as killing her, and we're better than that, right?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'll just keep my distance."

"Okay, if you're sure" But I wasn't sure, was I? How could I be, I barely thought about it for more than a split second. I couldn't be responsible for kicking her out or causing her death, so I'm going to suck it up and put on a brave face and show her I wasn't scared.

I'm not scared. 

"You know, I miss her?" Dad looks at me confused. "Lori." He gives me a half smile.

"I didn't get a chance to tell her how much I loved her, even after everything that happened. She was the mom I needed and she was a good mom."

"Yeah she was, and she loved you."

"I know, whenever I was with you guys she always treated me like her daughter. especially that night." I sighed a little. "I remember all of it, every little detail, I don't think I'd be able to forget it."

Dad turns to look at me as I stare out into the distance and I continue the memories flashing through my mind.

"It was so random, all of a sudden she told me I was going to stay at your house. That, that night they wanted to go out or something spare of the moment. it was the first time I'd seen you in six months, since the day Carl was born, I was so excited." We both smiled.

"You were working late, not being able to get the time off at such short notice. Carl was down for the night and I was sat in my room and Lori came in, and that's when she saw my the scars on my back." I let out a shiver at the memory.

"I remember her sitting me down on my bed, and carefully asking me what had happened, but I shook my head. I was so scared what would happen if I said anything but she said that was okay and she didn't push me. She pulled me into her arms and held me, she held me so tight running her fingers through my hair, I-" My voice broke a little.

"I felt so loved and safe, for the first time in so long so I told her, I told her everything, not leaving anything out. She promised me I'd be safe from there on out, that I was staying there with her and you and Carl and we were going to be a family, a real family. And for the first time I believed the words she was speaking, I believed her that no one was going to hurt me again.

Then that's when you came home, I couldn't say it all over again, especially to you, so that's why Lori did."

"You came upstairs so fast, I was so scared." I turned to look at him, "you marched into my bedroom and just wrapped your arms around me and held onto me so tight, I could feel you shaking. Then you said 'everything's going to be okay now, bean,' then you just got up and left. You went and got Shane, and arrested them." He nodded.

"We never talked about it after the trial, we didn't talk about Lori taking me to see her in prison. It felt like a dirty secret that I just had to live with that no one was allowed to know."

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to remind you of it," he lowers his head.

"I don't want to feel like that anymore, I don't want to feel ashamed of what happened to me."

He nods turning back to look at me again, "are you sure you want her to stay?"

I sigh, "I don't want her to stay, but we're not throwing her out to die."

"Okay," he pulls me into his arms again, "I wont let her hurt you, I promise."

"I know, dad," I smile up at him as I pull away slightly. "Is Carl okay?" I ask, remembering the look on his face earlier.

"He's okay. Confused, but he's okay. Want's to know his big sister is okay."

"Tell him I'm okay, I always am." He nods.

"You know I came back right?" he looked at me confused. "when you were shot, Lori called me"

"I didn't know" he tells me.

"As soon as she called, I got on a plane and came straight to you. i should have stayed, I had an exam and Lori told me to go back that you wouldn't want me to set myself back for you"

"she was right" he smiled.

"but i should have stayed, if I stayed I would have been with Lori and carl and with you" 

"you cant change anything now bean, what's done is done" I sigh knowing he's right. 

Dad kissing the top of my head before standing up. "You coming?" he asks me.

"No, I think I'm gonna stay here a bit longer." He nods before turning and heading into the guard tower, and down and out.

•••

The sun was slowly setting behind the peak of the trees, it had been a few hours since dad had come up to speak to me. I could hear everyone down below in the courtyard helping get the new people to settle into their new home.

No one else had been up to talk to me, dad probably telling them to leave me be till I came down.

Stood leaning slightly over the rail, I felt someone's presence behind me. Turning I saw his handsome but angry face. The crease in his forehead showing as he squinted to look at me.

"You're letting her stay?" he asked me, his voice laced with anger, but I could tell he was trying to hold it together.

I simply nod, he let out a frustrated sigh stepping closer to me.

"Why, Lee?" the nickname slips of his lips naturally now. "After everything she's done, why?"

"Because, Daryl." I sighed, I could see how angry he was but I couldn't tell if it was aimed at me or not. He takes another step forward, standing directly in front of me.

"Why? I don't understand!" he says more frustrated this time.

"Because I said so, Daryl. I'm not throwing her out there just for her to die. We might as well kill her ourselves, and we're better than that!" I sigh.

"But she hasn't changed Lee, you saw what she did down there in front of everyone. What will she do when no one else is around, aye?"

"She won't do anything."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I do, okay! I'm not the same person I was before, I'm not the same scared little kid I was, Dare. She doesn't get to have this power over my life again. Not if I get to have a say in it." I tell him straight.

His eyes soften as he slowly understands what I'm saying, I take his clenched fist in my hand slowly rubbing my thumb over his knuckles. "She can't hurt me anymore, she won't be able to."

His fist slowly unclenches as he cups my face with his spare hand his other squeezing mine tight. He pulls me into his arms, holding me close.

"I can't loose you, not again"

I pull away ever so slightly just enough to lean up to kiss him, he kisses me back with the same amount of love and tenderness.

Pulling away leaning our foreheads against each others, "I'm not going anywhere" I tell him. 

He pulls away, his eyes falling to my closed fist, taking my hand in his running his thumb over the bruise forming on my wrist. The anger in his eyes building up once more mixed with sadness he takes a deep breath trying to push it down.

He pulls my hand free revealing my necklace still placed on my palm, the charm pressing an indent into my skin.

Digging into his own pocket he pulls out a gold chain, thicker than the silver that was already in my hand.

"Where'd you-?" I asked him, he looks up giving me a small smile.

"you needed a new one, this way it will be back safe around your neck," he pulls the constellation charm off the silver chain before threading it through the gold. I turn for him pulling my hair to one side allowing him access to my neck.

He steadily clasps the necklace back around my neck before placing a small, chaste kiss behind my ear, sending goosebumps over my body.

I turn back to face him a smile playing on my lips. "Thank you," I tell him, before taking his hand in mine and pulling him closer into a kiss. His hand finds the back on my neck his as his fingers running threw my hair.

We pull away, our eyes locking, Daryl hands moving to my waist before pulling me back in and smashing his lips to mine. This time the kiss has more force, more passion. The fire building up in both of us. I kiss him back just as hard as my hand wrapped around the back of his neck trying to pull his body in closer than it already, was his fingers digging into my hips.

I pull away to look at him, his eyes darker a shade of blue filled with something I hadn't seen before. The butterflies in my stomach starting to go away as I pressed our bodies closer together if that was even possible, I heard Daryl let out a small groan as his tongue slipped into my mouth.

Letting out a small moan as our tongues battled for dominance, he quickly won. We'd never gone any further than this but my body was burning to be touched by him.

I pulled away from him, his eyes darker than before how was that even possible?

"I haven't-" I cut myself off feeling embarrassed, looking down trying to hide myself from him. but this was Daryl. Placing his hand under my chin lifting my head back up to face him he whispered, "I know."

This took me back, "you know?" I ask him confused. "Do I just give of virgin vibes or something?"

He chuckles slightly making me frown, great now he's laughing at me.

"No, I know because I know you," he nudges me with his hand. "I know that this isn't something that you would take lightly, or with anyone. This means something."

"And what about you?" I ask curiously.

"I don't take this lightly either," he tells me.

"oh" I say slightly embarrassed 

"I love you, Lee. You and everything about you"

We stare at each other for what feels like eternity, taking in everything about each other, "I love you dare" I tell him before I grab the back of his neck once again pulling him forward smashing my lips against him in a messy kiss.

One of his hands grabs the back of my neck the other sits on my hip as he starts walking us backwards into the guard tower.

"Are you sure?" he asks me when he pulls away for a breath.

"I'm sure," I tell him trying to steady my own breathing. My heart was racing a million miles an hour, unlike anything before.

His lips find mine again as he slowly pushes my jacket off, my hands start to roam his body from his chest to his shoulders, slowly going on his back, Daryl immediately freezes, I quickly move my hands realizing what I had done, placing them back on his chest.

I pull away from his lips, his eyes are still closed his face hard. I take a step back his hands dropping from my body.

I take a breath not really thinking about what I was about to do, my hands found the hem of my shirt pulling it up and over my head. He slowly opens his eyes to watch me.

Standing there with just my bra covering my top half of my body was scary but I had to show him it was okay. Taking Daryl's hand in mine I slowly brought it up to my neck, and onto my back. placing his hand flat on my back, my body instantly freezes at the feel of him touching my scars.

Taking a few deep breaths I look up at him, my body starting to relax under his touch. I bring my hand up to cup his cheek.

"We both have scars we don't like, but its okay, you're okay," I tell him. He nods, his body slowly starting to relax.

He pulls me into his arms holding me close to him, this was a lot for the both of us being vulnerable but with him I've never felt more safe and loved.

He pulls away keeping his arms around me, his eyes flickering down to my chest before coming back up to my face, the hunger alive in them again.

He kissed me, my lips then cheek, slowly working his way down my neck. Making sure to kiss every part of my skin he could. 

lifting his eyes to mine once more, asking for permission I nod letting him know it was okay. I felt safe here with Daryl, he makes me feel safe, making me fall more for him with each tender kiss.

•••

Laying in Daryl's arms, facing the wall his fingers running down up and down my arm. His other arm under my head. 

It felt peaceful just laying here in his arms, the light from the moon shinning through the door way. 

"Whatcha thinking about" Daryl asks me quietly.

smiling i turn around to face him, his arm wrapping around me as i do so. 

"just how peaceful I feel, and happy"

"yeah I feel that too" he smiles, tucking a piece of hair off my face and behind my ear. 

"we should probably get some sleep its been a long few days" I hum in agreement leaning my head against his chest all the adrenaline from the last few days finally wearing off. 

Daryl leans down kissing my forehead. I slowly start to drift off, hoping for peaceful night sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone I know its been awhile since I updated, I am sorry! I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think and leave a kudos if you liked it<3


	32. Chapter 32

_"Please, mommy!!" I begged as she dragged me by my hair out of my cell._

_"You're just a stupid little girl!" She spat pulling me to my feet, pushing me into the guardrail. "I should have got rid of you years ago, you were just a burden at every turn."_

_She pulled her knife from her belt. "Night night, baby girl." Tears roll down my cheeks. She puts her knife to my face._

_She's quickly pushed away, someone pulling me into their arms._

_"I got you," Daryl whispers to me, he pulls away his hands on my cheeks. "You're saf—" he stop as blood pours from his mouth; that's when I see her pulling the knife from his neck._

_"N-no, no," I whimper as he drops to the floor, I fall with him._

_"No!" I scream, louder than I ever had before. Like my soul had left my body in that moment, my heart shattering into pieces._

Jumping awake from the nightmare filled sleep, beads of sweat fall down my neck and forehead.

"Hey, you're okay," Daryl whispers in my ear as he wraps his arms around me. I lean back into his bare chest, steadying my breathing to the beats of his heart.

We sit for a while in silence, Daryl running his fingers through my hair to keep me calm. It was still early, the sky starting to lighten ready for the day ahead.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked me carefully, I shook my head making him sigh. "You have nightmares nearly every night for the past two months, Lee."

He wasn't wrong, ever since she had come back, I hadn't had a peaceful night, but Daryl didn't know about them all, he worries enough.

"I'm okay," I turn in his arms smiling at him. "Come on, we should get dressed. We've got a long day," I say trying to pull myself out of his arms. In true Daryl fashion he just grunts, locking his arms around me tighter.

"Let’s just stay here," he says closing his eyes trying to get comfy on the mattress again. Chuckling a little, I pry myself from his arms.

"You just don't want me running things today because you know I do it better," I tell him, crawling to the other side of the mattress, I pull Daryl's top off and throw it back at him.

"Are you sure you're ready to go out? You've not been feeling right lately."

"It was just a small flu, I was treating two kids with it just a few days ago. I feel better today."

"But—"

"But nothing I feel good, I was bound to pick something up sooner or later."

I pull my shirt on, before standing up and pulling my jeans on followed by my new thigh holster.

I pick up my gun, placing into my holster before picking up my new axe Daryl had gotten me on a run just a few months ago.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it?" Daryl asks me again, seeming worried.

Turning to him I smile putting my jacket on, pulling my hair free. "I'm going, Dare."

He sighs but nods, accepting that he couldn't stop me from going on this run.

  * ••



"Yo jacket buddy!" I heard as I exited the guard tower, looking up I see Bob our newest member to the prison. Me and Daryl found him last week.

_Daryl and I had been in a small run to the library the next town over, heading back after a few hours on Daryl’s bike I saw something up ahead._

_Moving my arm from around Daryl's waist, I tapped him on the shoulder making sure he saw what I did._

_"Yeah I see it," he shouted over the sound of the engine. He sped up to get closer to the man being overwhelmed by walkers._

_Daryl pulled up beside them, the man was on the floor now trying to hold the walkers at bay. Without waiting for Daryl to fully stop, I jump off quickly pulling my axe from my waist dropping my bag to the ground, swinging my axe directly for one of the walkers head slicing it in half._

_As a swung for the second an arrow fly's past my head into the walkers brain making it drop to floor making me miss completely._

_Turning I see Daryl still sat on the bike a smirk on his face._

_"Unfair, I had that!"_

_"Yeah you did," he laughs before getting off his bike and offering his hand out for the man still laid on the ground._

_He begrudgingly takes his hand and Daryl pulls him up to his feet._

_"Thank you," he says to us, "I'm Bob"_

_"Cool jacket, Bob," I chuckle noticing his similar army jacket to mine. Daryl looks at me weirdly. "What it's a cool jacket," I shrug._

_"And your names are?" Bob asks us, Daryl and I look at each other again trying to decide whether we wanted to ask him the questions for the system the council put in place._

_Daryl gives me a slight nod, we both turn back to Bob as I ask him the first question._

_"How many walkers have you killed?"_

_"I don't know?" Bob looks at me confused, "a few hundred maybe?"_

_"How many people have you killed?" Daryl jumped in._

_"T-two people," he stutters_

_"Why?" I ask the third and finale question._

_"One because they were bit, the other...they tried to kill me."_

_Daryl turns to look to me again asking me with his eyes whether I think we should let him come with us._

_I smile, happy with the results of our silent conversation._

_I turn to Bob, "Hi, I'm Kaylee." I hold my hand out to him to shake._

_"Hi Kaylee," he shakes my hand, "oh and this is Daryl."_

_"Hi," he smiles timidly at Daryl._

_"We have a camp, a safe place. You can come back with us," I tell him._

_"I'd like that."_

_"Yeah so we won't all fit on the bike," I turn to remind Daryl who seemed to forget._

_"So we have three options, one we can all walk back which will take hours. Two, I can drive back while you two wait and get a car," Daryl's face drops at this idea. "Or you can drive back get a car then come back for us."_

_"No, we're not doing that," Daryl tells me._

_"Daryl we won't get back until after dark if we walk and I'd rather be home for dinner. Plus me and Bob will be fine, we're practically jacket buddies already," I smile as Daryl looks more confused by the minute._

_"Go we'll be fine."_

_“Fine, I'll be back before it gets dark. Start heading that way got it?"_

_"Got it," I say picking my bag back up pulling the water bottle from it, offering some to Bob. He takes it, giving a nod in thanks while Daryl slings his crossbow over his shoulder, climbing back onto the bike._

_He gives me one final look to make sure I was sure, giving him a slight nod he takes off in the direction of home._

_Taking the bottle back from bob taking a small sip before placing it back in my bag putting it on my back._

_"Come on Bob, let’s go," I tell him as I start walking in the direction of the prison._

_As we were walking Bob slightly behind me I turned to him, "So military?" I ask him. He gives me a swift nod. "Medic by the looks of it," I say pointing to the red cross patch sown onto his jacket._

_"Five years" he tells me, “you?"_

_"No not me, my best friend. She was a combat medic before becoming a trauma surgeon."_

_He nods and gives a small smile picking up on the use of past tense, we pick up our speed walking back._

"Hey bob," I wave back to him and continue walking over to Carol who was cooking for everyone.

"Hey Carol," I smile to her, she smiles back to me. "Good morning, Kaylee." She hands me a bowl of food.

I spot Daryl making his way over to us, everyone turning saying good morning and hi. He looks to us both confused, before saying "smells good." He gets himself a bowl of food.

I nudge his side, "just so you know I liked you first"

"Stop," he rolls his eyes, "you know your old man brought most of them in."

"Not recently," Carol jumps in. "Giving people a place to eat to sleep, you're going to have to deal with the love," she laughs. "Come on I gotta show you both something," she tells us before handing over her spatula.

We both follow after Carol, not before being stopped by Caroline.

"Kaylee, can I speak to you please?" I ignore her looking to see Daryl had stopped now too, I walked around her still ignoring her, Daryl gives me a knowing look.

"We're not going to be able to spare many for the run today," carol tells us.

"That place is good to go, we gotta move on it," I tell her, "yeah.." she drags out getting to the fence, "we had a pretty big build up overnight." She points to the outside of the prison fence walkers building up around it.

"Dozen more towards tower three, it’s getting as bad as last month."

"If we can get ahead of it we'll be fine, we don't need that fence coming down," Daryl says, we all nod in agreement.

"Hey Carol, you got that list from D block?" I ask her. She nods handing over the list of supplies needed for D block.

"Thanks." I turn to Daryl, "come on we gotta get ready"

  * ••



Coming out of the cell that holds most of medical supplies, my bag ready to go, Hershel and Carl stop me in my tracks.

"How's the new leg feeling?" I ask Hershel, one of the new comers somehow managed to weld him a new leg, he'd been up and walking without crouches for a month now.

"I feel alive again," he smiles.

"We have something for you," Carl tells me handing me a piece of paper.

Turning it around I read it out loud "Congratulations, Dr. Kaylee Olivia Grimes for graduating apocalypse med school." I look to them both having big smiles on their faces.

"No more semi doctor, or half doctor. You are a doctor, Kaylee" Hershel tells me. I wipe the tear that had escaped my eyes and pulled them in for a hug.

"Come on Doc, we gotta go," Daryl shouts to me, pulling away from them I fold the paper up placing it in the side of my bag. I follow Daryl outside, Carl behind me going down to greet Michonne who had just rode through the gates.

I packed my bag into a car helping Sasha load it when Bob walks over to us.

"Hey, I’d like to start pulling my weight around here," he tells us.

"Bob it’s only been a week," Sasha tells him.

"A week worth a meals and a roof over my head, let me earn my keep," he asks us.

Sasha rounds the car door, "you were on your own when Daryl and Kaylee found you," she says to him.

"That's right."

"I just wanna make sure you know how to play on a team," she tells him

"He used to be a medic in the army," I tell Sasha, Bob nods his head. "I could use the extra hand if anything goes wrong out there." I turn to look at Bob, "you're in," I tell him. "Let’s go people" I tell everyone throwing my bag into the back seat of the car before closing the door.

Everyone climbs into their cars, we had a small group going: Daryl, Glenn, Sasha, Tyreese, Bob, Beth's new boyfriend Zach and myself. I walk over to Daryl who’s already on his bike. "You ready?" He asks me. Nodding I get on behind him wrapping my arms around his waist.

Daryl drives through one set of gates from the courtyard to the field, where Michonne had just arrived back talking to my dad. Daryl stops just in front of them, the rest of the cars following suit.

"Well look who's back," Daryl says over the engine.

"I couldn't find him," Michonne tells us, she'd been out looking for the Governor every chance she could the last few months.

"I'm glad you're in one piece," I tell her as I climb off the back of the bike.

"I'm thinking of looking over near Macon," she tells us, dad sighs he doesn't want her to keep going out looking for him.

"It’s worth a short," she tells us firmly.

"Is it?" I ask her, "70 miles of walkers and you don't know who else you'd run into." She just looks at me she knows I'm right but her need to finding him was strong.

I turn to dad, "We're going to check out the big spot, the one Daryl mentioned."

"Yeah, I've gotta go out and check the snares. We can’t afford to lose what we catch to the walkers."

"I'll come," Michonne says. I give her a nod before she walks to one of the cars.

"I'll see you later," I tell dad, holding up my pinkie to him, he wraps his own around mine. "Promise," he says before kissing my pinkie. "Promise," I repeat, he pulls his hand away and I climb back on the bike behind Daryl as dad runs down to open the gate.

  * ••



We pull up to the grocery story that's fenced up in under an hour, Daryl pulls up to the fence before turning the bike off. I climb off as the other cars pull up next to us. I grab my bag out of the back seat of one of the cars before pulling it onto my back.

Daryl pulls his crossbow from the rack on the back of his bike and walks over to the fence looking at all the army tents and vehicles behind it.

"Army came in and put these fences up," Daryl tells the others, "made it the place for people to go."

"Last week when we spotted this place, there was a lot of walkers behind this chain link," I tell them as I run my fingers over the fence.

"So they all just left?" Bob ask.

I smile, "Listen." Everyone is quiet for a second and you can hear the sound of music playing slightly in the distance.

"You drew them out?" Michonne asks now.

"Put a boombox out there three days ago."

"Hooked it up to two car batteries," Glenn adds.

"Alright, let’s make a sweep," Daryl says stepping through the hole in the fence, his crossbow ready. Holding my axe up and ready I step through the fence following behind him.

We split up sweeping the fenced in the area of the parking lot, once we knew we were good we met back up at the front doors of the store.

I pull the lists from the back of my jeans pockets flicking through them quickly while Daryl knocks on the door. “Give it a minute," he says sitting back onto the wall.

"Okay I think I got it," Zach speaks up leaning against the pillar.

"Got what?" I asked him confused, lifting my head from the yellow sticky notes in my hand.

"Oh, I've been trying to guess what Daryl did before the turn," he tells me smiling pushing himself of the wall to sit next to Daryl. I chuckle a little.

"He's been trying to guess for like six weeks," Daryl shakes his head.

"Hey, I'm pacing myself, one shot a day," he tells us.

"Alright, shoot," Daryl shrugs.

"Well the way you are at the prison, you being on the council, you can track, you're helping people but you are still being kinda surly."

"Surly?" I ask trying to hold in my laugh, Daryl rolls his eyes at me.

"Big swing here," he says pointing his finger in the air "Homicide cop!" he says as a matter of fact and I can no longer hold my laugh in.

"What's so funny?" Daryl asks me.

"Nothing, detective," I try and say with a straight face.

"The man’s right actually," Daryl says.

"Come on really?" Zach asks him.

"Yeah," Daryl nods, "Undercover, I don't like to talk about it yano? It’s some heavy shit"

"Dude come on really?" Zach asks him again still not believing him. We don't say another word and I just laugh.

Walkers bang against the window behind them, Daryl gets up.

"We gonna do this?"

"Let’s go," he says leaning his crossbow up against the wall opting for his knifes instead. Sasha and I pull the front doors open, letting the walkers out two at a time before closing them again. It didn't take long before all the walkers are dead and out the store.

"Alright," I get everyone's attention, "we go in, we stay in formation for the sweep." I hand everyone there sticky notes, "after that you all know what you're looking for, stick to your list, you get everything before we’re all done, non-essential items on the back." I smile, "any questions?" They shake their heads before walking into the store.

Daryl gives me a weird look, "what?" I ask him.

"Nothing, you just love being in charge don't you?" I smile and just walk past him, "come on detective things to do."

We finish sweeping the aisles of the store before we clear the place, we all go back to grab shopping carts before taking off.

I look at my list before finding the aisle I needed, walking down I mentally ticked things off my list as I throw them into the boxes in my cart.

"Okay, shampoo, conditioner, sanitary products, wipes," I said to myself as I got further down the aisle, I look to the shelves looking for what I needed before I spotted it. Pulling my bag off one shoulder so I could open it I grab the box before putting it in my bag and zipping it up.

I carried on filling my cart up with the things on my list, before long I had reached the pharmacy counter.

Hopping on the counter so I could jump over I trip slightly on the other side. There wasn’t much medication left but it was better than nothing. I scanned the shelves for anything could be of use, hardly any antibiotics, a few inhalers and a few other meds. I grabbed what I could throwing them back over into my cart before hoping over again this time not falling when I landed.

With my list done I headed for the front door with my cart ready to load in the cars. When I turn around to head back in I hear a loud crash and a scream. Ditching my cart I run over to where I heard it come from, Daryl already there bending down to check on Bob who was under a shelf surrounded by broken wine bottles.

"You good? You cut yourself?" Daryl asks him.

"Nah man, my foot is caught," He tells Daryl, he stands back Tyreese and Zach had made their way over to us by now.

"He's just stuck, come on help me out," he asks us putting his crossbow down.

"What happened?" Glenn shouts from across the store.

"Everything's fine we're over in wine and beer!" I shout back as Daryl and Tyreese pull the shelf off of Bob.

"I was moving too fast," Bob explains "I drove right into the drinks."

"You're a lucky guy," I tell him, "if this thing came down on you the wrong way it would have cut you to pieces."

Suddenly there's another loud crash but this time from the ceiling. Pieces of the ceiling fall onto us as a walker falls through but hangs on by its gut just dangling in the air.

"Uh yeah we should go now," Glenn says behind me.

"Bob still stuck we gotta get him outta there," Daryl says.

"We'll get the others," I tell him as more and more walkers fall through the ceiling crashing onto the floor pushing us back.

It doesn't stop, more and more walkers fall through the gaps in the ceiling, splitting us up from one another.

Pulling out my axe walking around the other side of the aisle I see Glenn on the floor a walker on top.

Swinging my axe through its head, Glenn pushes the rest off of him. Holding my arm out I pull him up. "Come on we gotta get to the others," I tell him.

Gun shots going off all around the store as more walkers fell, Bob shouting still under the fallen shelf.

Daryl had climbed on top of boxes walkers starting to surround him, I pulled my gun from my thigh holster shooting the walkers I could see as Daryl used his crossbow to hit them.

Looking up where the massive whole in the ceiling was, was a helicopter slowly falling more and more through the roof.

Daryl grabs my arm away from where the helicopter is about to fall, Zach behind us now shooting walkers.

"Get bob!" he tells us, I grab the feet of a walker crawling its way over to Bob and pull it away and putting my axe through its brain.

Zach holds the shelf up as Daryl pulls Bob from under it, "Come on we gotta go!" I shout to them, the helicopter slipping more and more. Daryl pulls Bob over to the rest of us, then we hear the screams.

Turning I see Zach his face in shock, screaming as a walker bites his leg pulling him down to the floor. "Zach!" I shout trying to push past people to get to him, to save him.

Daryl grabbed me by waist holding me back, it is too late. The walker had bit his neck as he continued to scream, I needed to help him. More ceiling pieces fell onto us.

"We gotta go!" Daryl screams as he pulls me out of the store everyone else running in front of us, getting out the way just in time for the helicopter to fall smashing into the ground the whole roof coming down with it.

  * ••



The whole ride back I kept my head lent against Daryl’s back, my arms wrapped around him securely.

Zach’s screams still running through my mind, going over it again and again thinking I could have done something to save him. It was always hard losing people, especially when it’s your job to keep them alive.

We made it back to the prison by midafternoon a small group of people waiting for us.

I climbed of the back of Daryl’s bike going straight over to my dad who was standing with Hershel.

"We lost Zach," I tell them, dad pulls me into a hug.

As I pull away Hershel asks, "is everyone else okay?"

I nod as Daryl walks up beside me.

"Roof collapsed, walkers fell through wasn’t much we coulda done," Daryl tells them. "I'll tell Beth," he offers.

"Yeah okay, I’m just going to pack everything away that we managed to get today," I tell them before walking over to one of the cars the boxes were loaded into.

We didn’t get as much as we needed but this will have to do. I grab one of the boxes I packed and my bag from the back seat and headed inside the prison.

I dropped my bag on the bed of the medical supplies cell and the box on the floor before sitting next to it and slowly organizing it, this had become one way for me to distract my brain over the last two months.

It took a few hours but I’d finally finished sorting things, I was back in my cell two small lanterns hanging from the top bunk lighting up the room, bed sheets being used as a makeshift door.

I only stayed in my cell a couple nights a week, the others spent in the guard tower with Daryl on either our nights for watch we'd both be there. I didn’t like sleeping in here all that much, but Maggie would stay with me on the nights I needed her and she made it easier over time.

I was pacing back and forth in the small cell, my mind racing so much that I didn’t hear Maggie at knock on the wall outside my cell calling my name.

"Kaylee?" she says again this time pushing back the sheets and stepping into my cell, I turn to her tears welling up in my eyes.

She looks at my face as she steps forward but stops, her eyes drop down to my hands then back to my face but not before doing another double take at my hands. Her eyes slowly start to widen.

"Kay is that—?"

"Yes," I say before she finishes her sentence.

"Is it—?"

"Yes."

"Are you—?"

"Yes." The tears threaten to fall down my cheeks.

“Have you—?"

"No," I cut her off again.

"Kaylee," she sighs.

"Maggie." I just look at her not knowing what else to say.

Sighing, feeling defeated I sit down on my bottom bunk, Maggie sits next to me.

"Kay talk to me, what is it?" She asks taking one of my hands, I turn to look at her a single tear escaping down my cheek. "I’m scared," more tears follow suit, "what if Daryl leaves again? Or worse what happened to Lori happens to me?" The flood gates are fully open now.

I throw the pregnancy test onto my pillow as Maggie pulls me into her arms, "it’s going to be okay, Daryl won’t leave you not again, and we'll figure everything else out, we can train more people, find more supplies. You're going to be okay, Kaylee Grimes."

God I hope she's right, I can’t lose Daryl but I can’t leave him either, I have to be strong for me and our baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments! I love hearing everything you all say! and leave a kudos if you liked it, means a lot thank you <3


	33. Chapter 33

Waking up in my cell always felt weird, but it was easier when Maggie was beside me.

It was still early, the sun was barely shining through the sheets.

Maggie was still asleep beside me but next to her on the floor was Glenn. I smiled, they're good together; he'd even sleep on the hard floor to be with her, it was sweet.

Sunlight shined through the doorway as someone pushed the sheets back, Daryl stepped in, looking at me, then Maggie, then Glenn, then back to me with a confused look on his face. I shrugged, chuckling a little.

He shook his head before going back out, it had become a habit of his whenever I slept in my cell to check on me in the morning to make sure I was okay.

As the sheets fall back into place the sun light hits Maggie's face, waking her.

"What time is it?" She asked, still half asleep.

"It's early," I tell her as she sits up.

All of a sudden Glenn jumps awake looking around the cell. "I'm awake!" Maggie looks to me and we laugh.

My brain took a moment to fully wake up, and the memory of last night comes flooding back.

I'm pregnant.

"Kaylee, are you okay?" Glenn asks me. "You look a little pale."

"I'm okay," I tell him, it didn't sound convincing. As I pulled myself to the end of the bed to get up I see Maggie shake her head to him quickly.

Standing up, I grabbed my gun and axe putting them in their holsters. Having fallen asleep in my clothes and shoes it made it a little easier.

"I have to go start my rounds soon," I tell them, grabbing my stethoscope from my bag on the top bunk and putting it round my neck.

I push past the sheets and out of my cell, not many people were awake as of yet, the cell block still mostly quiet.

I head downstairs, seeing dad holding Judith and trying to wake Carl.

"Morning," I smile at them both, kissing Judith's cheek.

"Morning, Bean."

"What's on for today, then?"

"Carl wants to help clear the walkers on the fence, they keep building up overnight."

"Yeah, we need to deal with that."

"They will, me and Carl have other plans involving dirt and cucumbers," he smiles. Since Woodbury, since the Governor, he hasn't carried his gun. He took Carl's from him, he tried to take mine, but that conversation lasted about two seconds. He's been trying to focus on me, Carl, and Judith. Let everyone else be in charge. He's doing a lot better, he smiles a lot more again.

"I've got to check on a few patients here and over in D, one of the kids still isn't feeling good," I tell him. He nods as Carl walks out of his cell, looking unhappy he had to wake up so soon.

"Morning Carl," I smile. "Okay, I have to get going," I tell dad before walking to medical cell to grab my small bag for rounds. I grabbed some breakfast on the way then headed off to D block.

•••

As I walked through the tombs I started to hear screaming, the closer I got to D block the louder it got.

I picked up my pace and started running as fast as I could to D.

As I rounded the corner in to the cell block, and it was chaos. Walkers were everywhere, people running every direction trying to get away, hardly anyone was actually trying to take them out.

I pull my axe out, dropping my bag and start swinging for the walkers closest to me. I see one going for the two girls, Lizzie and Mika, taking down the walker and kicking it away from them in one swoop.

I crouched down a little to their height. "I need you guys to go get help now," I tell them pushing them towards the doors that lead closest to outside, "Run!" I shout.

They run through the doors still screaming and crying, but they were out.

Walkers just kept coming from every direction, there were too many to handle. I switch my axe to my left hand and pull my gun from its holster with my right and start taking them down.

I don't know how much timed has passed, could have been seconds or minutes, but everyone finally started getting to D.

"Daryl!" I shout when I see him. He locks eyes with me just for a second before taking out a walker. Dad starts screaming for the people coming from the top level to get out and run.

I spotted Levi on the floor crawling backwards away from a walker. Before I could get to him, Daryl swooped him up in his arms and passed him to Karen. "Get in the cell," he tells her as he shoots the walker in the head.

I feel something bump into the back of me I turn quickly ready to shoot, but looking down I see little Callie, another kid that stayed in D block, "Are you hurt?" I asked her frantically as I check her arms for bites, she shakes her head, crying.

I lift her into my arms before running over to the cell Karen was in with the other kids just as she was closing the door. "Wait!" I shout, handing her Callie. "Take her," I pushed the door closed.

We started to get control of the walkers by pushing people into cells and away from them and I heard Carol shout my name.

"Kaylee!" I spot her across the cell block helping someone into a cell, I run over dodging the walkers that were still there, trying to ignore the screams all around me.

I see her lay Lizzie and Mika's dad Ryan on the bed, a bite on his arm.

"Shit," I say as Carol grabs one of the belts on the wall.

"Ryan I'm sorry but we have to amputate your arm to stop the infection from spreading," I tell him as I take the belt from Carol and placing his arm through it.

"Check all of them, every cell," I hear dad tell everyone.

"We have to do this right now," I tell him. "Carol, knife?" She hands me a knife while grabbing a cloth and telling Ryan, "Here bite down on this."

As I move him to start cutting I spot another bite, this time on the back of his neck. There was nothing I could do. I turned to Carol and shook my head. I can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

I rolled Ryan back on his back. "It's happening isn't it?" he asks me.

"I just want you to lay back okay, you're in shock."

"Are we clear down here!?" I hear dad ask everyone, I hear the audible 'yeah's'.

He looks over to Carol. "Lizzie and Mika, they're going to be on their own. You have to look out for them."

"I will but you're going to get to say goodbye, okay?"

He nods, I try to hold back my tears as I stand up, looking to Carol asking if she had got this. She nodded so I left the cell. I had to go see if I could help anyone else.

The cell block was silent now, only the sound of a hushed words from the upper level was heard. I grabbed my bag off the ground stepping over the bodies to get to the stairs. Bob had come in, helping with any of the injuries they could.

I made my way upstairs where Dad, Daryl, Hershel, and Glenn were standing around a cell. Hershel must have come in when I was with Carol.

Dad kills a walker through the bars of the door before opening it and going in. I go in behind them looking down at the young body of Charlie on the floor. I crouch down next to Daryl as dad speaks up. "No bites, or wounds, I think he just died," he tells us.

"Horribly too, Pleurisy Aspiration," I tell them, noticing how he had blood over his face. Dad looked at me confused. "Choked to death, on his blood," Hershel adds.

"You see these trails down his face?" I point to them.

"I've seen them before, on the walkers outside the fences," dad says.

"I saw them on Patrick too," Daryl adds. Patrick died?

"They're from internal lung pressure building up like when you shake a soda can and pop the top, only imagine it's your ears, nose and throat as the top," I try explaining to them.

"So it's a sickness from the walkers?" Dad asks.

"No, these things have been around for years, way before things went to hell. It's most probably a flu strain, an aggressive one."

"Someone locked him in just in time," Hershel says.

"Nah man," Daryl says. "Charlie use to sleep walk, he locked himself in so he wouldn't walk around the prison," he tells us, he sighs. "Hell, he was just eating barbeque yesterday, how does someone die in a day just from a cold?" he looks to me and Hershel.

"I had a sick pig," dad informs us. "And I saw a sick boar in the woods."

"Pigs and birds, that's how these things started to spread in the past," Hershel says.

"We need to do something about the rest of the pigs," I tell them all, if it's the pigs doing this, maybe we can get ahead if it.

"Maybe we're lucky, maybe these two cases are just the only ones?" dad asks, optimistically.

"Bugs like this like to run through close quarters," I tell him.

"And we can't get any closer than this," Hershel adds.

I look at them all. "All of us in here, we've been exposed."

•••

The council had called a meeting to talk about what the hell happened today.

Hershel, Daryl, Carol, Glenn, and Sasha all had a seat on the council, chosen by everyone just after Woodbury people arrived. As the other doctor here I was asked to sit in for this meeting.

I leaned against the wall as everyone sat around the table in the prison library.

"Patrick was fine yesterday," Carol starts. "Two people died that quickly? We have to separate everyone that's been exposed," she tells them.

"That's everyone in that cell block," Daryl adds. He was right, there are a lot of people in D block, it was pretty much full.

"That's us too," I tell them. "Maybe more," I look at them all.

"What we know is that this sickness can be lethal, but we don't know how easily it spreads," I explain to them. "Is anyone else showing signs of any symptoms?" I ask.

"We can't just wait and see, there's children," Carol speaks up again. "It isn't just the illness, if people die they become a threat."

"We need a place for them to go," Hershel tells us. "They can't stay in D, we can't risk going in there to clean it up."

"We can use cell block A," Carol suggests.

"Death row?" Glenn says. "Not sure that's much of an upgrade."

"It's clean, that's an upgrade," Daryl says. He wasn't wrong and we didn't have anywhere else for anyone to go. "Will that work for you?" Daryl looks to me, I nod.

"I'll help Kaylee set it up," Hershel tells him.

We hear someone coughing as they walk down the hallway outside of the library. Pushing myself off the wall as everyone else stands up, I walk to the doorway as Tyreese and Karen walk past, Karen holding her hand over her mouth as she coughs.

"You okay?" Tyreese asks her. "Yeah I'm fine," she answers him as they keep walking. Stepping out into the hallway, I stop them.

"Are you sure?" I ask her. "You don't sound so good."

"We're just taking her back to my cell so she can rest," Tyreese tells us, rubbing Karen's arm.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Tyreese," I tell him.

"Why, what's going on?" Karen asks us as the others walk out of the room.

"We think it's a flu or something, that's how Patrick died," Glenn tells them.

"Judith is in that cell block, she's vulnerable, any one that may be sick or exposed should stay away," Hershel says, walking over to them both.

"It killed Patrick?" Karen asked in disbelief, the panic in her voice was rising.

"Now that we know Patrick died from it, we can treat it right?" Tyreese asked, more panicked now too.

"Don't panic, we'll sort this out, but we should keep you separated in the meantime. I'll take a look at you, and Hershel can go look at what we have in way of medication." I tell them, looking to Hershel making sure he was good with this plan, he nodded.

Karen sighed before she spoke again, "David from Decatur group, he's been coughing too," she tells us.

"I'll get him," Glenn offers. "We have some empty cells in the tombs right?" he asks.

"Yeah I'll meet you there," I tell him. "Sasha, could you take them down and get settled?" I asked her, she gave me a quick nod before walking Tyreese and Karen down the hallway to the direction of the tombs.

Hershel, Daryl, Carol, and I were left in the hallway. "We should call another meeting later," Hershel suggests.

"Alright, I'll get to burying the dead ones," Daryl tells us, putting his crossbow on his back. "Wear gloves and a mask," I tell him.

He nods before walking away, Hershel follows behind going to look at our meds. Carol was still leaning against the wall.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"I'm worried about Lizzie and Mika, they were around Patrick," she tells me.

"I know, Karen and David will be separated till they feel better."

"I know," she says before walking away. Sighing, I head to get my rounds bag, then head for the tombs to take a look at Karen.

•••

I had just got done checking over Karen and David and left them to rest in the cells.

Pulling my mask off my face as I got to the courtyard, I quickly washed my hands, ready to take a breath for two seconds.

That didn't last even a second before I heard Maggie scream my dad's and Daryl's name from across the field. Oh God, what else today?

I run to the fence to see what was happening, the walkers building up against the fence had doubled and was now pushing the fence, close to pushing it down.

"Shit," I run through the gates and down the field into the dog runs right behind dad and Daryl. I grabbed a poker off the fence and carried on running to the where the walkers were.

"The noise drew them out, now this part's starting to give," Maggie shouted over the loud moans from the walkers.

The fence was close to giving way as more people came down the dog run, we started stabbing the walkers through the fence causing them to pile up at the bottom, but more just kept coming pushing the fence more.

"Are you seeing this?" Sasha shouted, looking down at the floor by the fence, we all stopped spotting the dead mice on the ground. "Has someone been feeding these things?" Who would feed the walkers?

"Heads up!" Daryl shouted as one part of the fence started to give more and more. "This part of the fence!" I tell everyone.

We all went to the same section of the fence were walkers were climbing on top of each other and the dead bodies below them, causing more of the fence to bend.

"Its gonna give!" dad shouted as we all pushed onto the fence, trying to stop it coming down completely.

"Back, get back now!" Daryl told us, we all stepped back from the fence, the walkers pushing so hard it was cutting their heads. God, that's disgusting.

"If the fence keeps bending in like that, the walkers are coming over it," Sasha tells us. Dad looks around for a second before telling Daryl to grab the truck. "I know what to do."

I went with Maggie to open the gates for them, but I couldn't stay. The sick feeling in my stomach was becoming too much.

To get the walkers away, dad used the pigs to get them away from the fence so they can reinforce it enough where the walkers couldn't bend it again. As soon as the gate closes, I head back inside.

•••

It had been a few hours and Tyrese and I were on our way to the tombs, I had to check on how Karen and David were doing. I had given them both antibiotics earlier to see if they would help. I hope they did because we only had one more dose left from the run yesterday.

Tyreese had a small bouquet of yellow flowers in his hand said to help cheer Karen up. They were sweet and good for each other.

We got to the tombs dim lights, leading us to the singular cells they had here.

"Hey Karen, how—" I started to say as I got to her cell door but seeing no one there, except the blood on the pillow case and floor in a drag pattern, it lead from her cell down the halls of the tombs.

"What is it?" Tyreese says from behind me before noticing the blood trail too. We just look at each other then follow the trail, Tyreese turns more lights on as we go.

The trail line quickly turns into two trail lines combined, the other trail line coming directly from David's cell.

We kept following the trail to a door that lead outside, opening the door the days light shone through quickly, momentarily blinding me.

Blinking to clear my eyes, they were quickly directed to the floor where two burning bodies lay.

Oh god.

•••

"You just found them like this?" Dad asked us, I had gone and got dad, Daryl, and Carol, not knowing what else to do.

"Yeah, I came to do my checks on them and found the blood trails, then this," I tell him.

"Somebody dragged them out here, killed them, and set them on fire!" Tyreese cried out. "They killed them, then set 'em on fire!"

"You're a cop!" He gets in dad's face, Daryl steps behind him, pushing me back. "You find out who did this, then send them my way!" He tells him.

"Hey, we'll find out who—" Daryl tries to tell him, putting his arm on his shoulder. Tyreese shrugs him off. "Karen didn't deserve this! David didn't deserve this," he cries. "Nobody does!"

"Alright man, just breathe," Daryl tries to tell him, putting his hand on his shoulder again. Tyreese swings around grabbing Daryl by the scruff of his shirt pushing him against the wall, my eyes go wide and my hand goes to my gun straight away.

"I ain't going anywhere!" Ge screams in Daryl's face. Daryl holds his arms up to us telling us not to do anything, the anger within me building up the longer he had Daryl pinned there.

"We're on the same side, man," Daryl tells him calmly.

"Hey look," dad says quietly from behind Tyreese. " I know what you're going through, we've all lost someone. We know what you're going through right now, but you gotta calm down."

"You need to step the hell back!" he releases Daryl only to push dad back from him. I go straight to Daryl's side, making sure he was good. He gives me a small nod telling me he was fine.

"She wouldn't want you being like this," dad tells Tyreese. Tyreese responds by punching him square in the jaw.

"Stop!" I scream, trying to get between them, Daryl pulls me back as Tyreese swings for dad again. Daryl pulls Tyreese away, holding his arms back as dad stands and swings for him, Daryl lets go as Tyreese falls to the floor.

"Dad, stop!" I shout, trying to pull him away but he just keeps going for him as he pushes me back with a force into Daryl's arms.

"Rick!" Daryl tries, just to be ignored too. Carol pulls me beside her as Daryl tries to pull dad away, holding his arms back.

"Let go of me!" dad screams at Daryl, it's like he'd been possessed in the last minute, all his rage coming out now. My body started to tremble as he elbowed Daryl in the stomach. Daryl let go, walking away back in the tombs.

I followed after him, he kept walking till he turned a corner. As I turned, I nearly walked straight into his back.

He turned to face me. "You okay?" he asked me, bringing his hand up to my cheek.

"It's been a long day already," I tell him, leaning more into his touch. I still had to tell him about the baby but I don't think now was the right time, but when was?

As I opened my mouth to tell him, Carol rounded the corner with Tyreese, barely holding him up. Daryl dropped his hand from my cheek.

"Kaylee, he needs checking out," Carol tells me.

"I'll take Tyreese, you two need to go to the council meeting and figure out what's happening," I tell them both as I pull Tyreese's arm over my shoulder and help him through the tombs.

••

As the hours of the day went on it started feeling slower and slower by the minute. More and more people were feeling sick and I started feeling worse quick too.

My head was throbbing, started to cough, my chest tight, overall feeling shitty.

Everyone was being put into A block, I started heading that way holding onto the wall as I walked.

Maggie spotted me just as I was coming down the steps barely making it down them.

"Kaylee?" she said, she looked worried. Hell, I'm worried too.

"I'm okay," I tell her, sounding weak.

"Let me help you," she tells me, putting her mask back on, she wraps her arm around my waist and helps me walk the rest of the way to A block.

"Oh, Kaylee," Hershel said as Maggie helped me into A. I didn't like it down here, it was creepy.

"I'm okay," I tell him. "I'll be okay." Who are you trying to convince here, Kaylee?

"Daddy, she's pregnant," Maggie tells him quietly. My head whipped around to Maggie, eyes wide.

"You weren't going to tell him," she tells me, she was also right.

"Come on, let's get you settled in a cell." They both help me into a cell and onto a bed.

"Have some tea," Hershel tells me, pouring me some into a cup. "The herbs should help and they're the best we got till we can get more antibiotics. Just rest Kaylee. We'll worry about baby if we have too."

They leave me in the cell for a while, I drink the tea as Hershel tells me. It does help the symptoms and I could breathe better.

"Kaylee, someone wants to see you," Hershel comes in to tell me, he helps me off the bed and over to a room that had a large window in. On the other side of the glass stood my handsome redneck.

"I'll give you both a minute," Hershel tells me before heading back out.

"Hey," I say with a partial cough as I step up to the glass.

"You should have come told me you were sick," he tells me. He's slightly angry, I can hear it in his voice but he was also concerned, I could hear and see that too.

"Didn't need you to worry about me anymore, you know I'd be in here anyway to help," I tell him.

"Yeah, you would be," he smiles a little.

"You're going back out there, aren't you?" I ask him, noticing the look on his face, he nods causing me to sigh.

"Bob mentioned an old veterinary about 60 miles out, it could have the medication we need," he tells me.

"60 miles is far, you won't make it back before morning and if anything goes wrong," I sigh, we needed these meds. "Be safe, Dare," I tell him.

"Don't die on me." His hand leans against the window, I put my hand over his, I wish he could just hold me.

"I'll be okay, Dare."

"I love you, Lee," he tells me. I smile, that always makes me smile, the warmth it makes me feel in my heart.

"I love you, Dare."

And then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did, leave a kudeos or a comment let me know what you think


	34. Chapter 34

_Daryl's POV_

I walked out of the prison, leaving Kaylee. This trip was long and could go sideways at any time. But we needed these medications, Kaylee needed them.

She tried to put on a good face when I saw her in A block, but she looked pale and her eyes weren’t as bright as they normally were.

Walking out to the courtyard and over to the cars I watched people with bags walking across the courtyard going to the offices and library. We decided to move all the kids and vulnerable that weren’t already sick away from the cell blocks try and stop the spread.

Pulling the hood up on one of the cars, making sure everything was good; we didn’t need the car breaking down too.

Michonne started walking over towards where I was placing her katana and bag on the trunk, she already decided she was coming on the run with us.

Checking the oil on the car I sighed, "Son of a bitch, about a quart low."

"You still keep the extra in the bottom of tower three?" she asks.

"Yeah," I answer.

"I’ll go get one," she says before turning around.

"Hey," she stops, "I’m glad you’re here," I tell her, and I was. She was a good friend to Kaylee and looked out for Carl.

"Where else would I be?" she asks me.

I clean my hands off with a rag as I tell her, "running off."

"You know I’m not running off, right?"

I shrug, looking back to the engine, Michonne sighs before changing the subject. "So is it just me and you?"

"And Bob," I tell her, it had been Hershel’s idea to bring him with us with Kaylee not being able to go. We needed someone to show us exactly what we were looking for.

"Still feel like we need another person," I add.

"Who else ain’t sick?" That was a good question nearly everyone was sick now.

"We don’t ask Rick," i tell her, "He wants to stay here with Carl and little ass-kicker to make sure they don’t get sick and to keep an eye on Kaylee."

"So who else we got?"

There was only a few people I would trust to come with us on a long run like this, I just had to go find them.

•••

I had looked everywhere for Tyreese, the only place I hadn’t checked was A block and that’s were I ended up.

Tyreese was standing at the locked door looking in.

“There you are, took damn near forever to find you," I tell him as he turns to face me. "Whatcha doing?"

"Somebody needs to stand watch," he tells me before looking back into the cell block.

"Man, I wanna find them too," I tell him straight, "put a bolt in them for what they did." He just turns back to the cell block.

"These people are cut off," I try to reassure him, this wasn’t my thing. Kaylee would know what to do.

"Ain’t no way anybody’s getting in or out without a whole lot of people seeing 'em."

"Sasha’s in there," he reminds me, "ain’t no way I’m going anywhere."

"Standing guard ain’t gonna do them any good unless we bring those meds back. The doors locked and no one’s getting in there, we all got people we love in there man," I tell him, once again he just turns back to cell block.

"Aright, we’re gassing up by the front gate if you change your mind" I tell him before walking back down he tombs.

•••

"Everything alright?" Bob asked me as we walked over to the car with extra gas cans.

"Yeah" I said closing the bonnet, "Zach kept this thing running pretty good."

"Zach's car?" Bob asked me, as he loaded the car.

"Yeah fastest one we got" I tell him, his face falls more. "You alright?" I ask him.

"You really want me coming?" I wipe my hands on my jeans a little before grabbing the list out of my pocket that Hershel had given me earlier. How Lee would have loved to see me using this list. "What’s that word there?" I say pointing to the first word on the list.

"Zanamivir" Bob says perfectly.

"Yeah we need you, both our other docs are already in A," I tell him.

"Kaylee's sick?" he asks me worried.

"She won’t be when we get these meds back to her," I tell him.

I lean against the car as Tyreese walks over, "what’s up?"

"You still got space for one more?" he asks me.

"Hell yeah"

"Good, I just gotta get my gear" he tells me before turning around.

"Make it quick we’re losing day light" I tell him before putting my crossbow in the car.

•••

We had set off in the early evening, the sun still shining slightly.

Michonne was sitting in the passenger seat, Bob and Tyreese both in the back.

"Hey, I know you weren’t running off" I tell Michonne breaking the silence in the car, "it’s just the trail went cold, you know that right?"

"If it was any different I’d be right out there with you" she turns to look at me, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, not just you" she said quietly.

I ignored her and started playing with radio getting only static, "Hey can you pass me a CD?" I ask Bob.

"Was that a voice?" Bob asked as I kept turning the dial on the radio faint crackled voices coming through.

_"Stay alive"_ and _"determine"_ were the only words we could make out. I looked to Michonne before looking and driving straight into a walker. Trying to swerve we saw more walkers in the middle of the road. I pushed on the brakes when we came face to face with a huge horde of walkers, more than I’ve ever seen. They started surrounding the car, more and more banging trying to get inside.

"Hold onto something" I tell everyone before putting the car into reverse before putting my foot down again.

The car went up on an angle as it ran over walkers, "Go to the left" Michonne tells me pointing out the small gap. Putting the car back into drive and putting my foot down once more the tiers just spun, we were stuck.

"It jammed up" I tell them, "You'll have to make a run for the gaps right there" I tell Michonne as she put her katana over her shoulder.

"You two run for the woods" I tell Bob and Tyreese, "and you don’t stop for nothing you hear me?" they nod in response.

I pulled my seatbelt off and my crossbow loading it ready, "Okay, now!" I tell them as Michonne jumps out her door. I push the cover off the roof window before standing up and covering Michonne.

"Move!" I tell them as I slide down the front window onto the bonnet, I pull my knife out to stab a walker in the head. I follow after Michonne using my knife and crossbow to form a path through into the woods.

I hear gunshots behind me and Bob shouting for Tyreese. Taking out the walker going for Bob as he reaches the tree line, we all turn around for Tyreese being surrounded by walkers.

"Go!" he shouts to us.

"Come on!" I tell them both before we all run into the woods.

We ran through the woods, walkers coming in each direction, Michonne taking them out with her katana.

We ran into a clearing in the woods, I told the others to hold up seeing rustling in the trees. Reloading my crossbow, ready to shoot the walker on our tail as I go to shoot the walker falls to the found a hammer in its head revealing a tired looking Tyreese with walkers guts on him.

He falls to his knees tired from fighting the walkers but we couldn’t stop here more walkers were coming through the woods and we had to move. Grabbing his arm helping him to his feet, Bob grabbed his other arm and we continued to run. We kept running until we reached a small stream to catch our breaths. I pull out a map as Tyreese goes down the creeks edge to clean his bloody shirt.

"This is Turner Creek" Michonne tells us, pointing to the map, "that means Barnesville must be a few miles downstream."

"Sound like our best idea to find a new ride."

"Alright we make camp here for the night and leave first thing when the sun comes up" I tell everyone.

"Tyreese come on" I call over to him folding the map back up.

"We lost a whole night" he tells me, "my sister, everyone else there is probably dead." The thought of Kaylee laying there dead was something I didn’t want to cross my mind, or worse she was dead and a walker.

I could feel my fist clenching then unclenching. "Nah, we keep going, we keep going till we get the meds back to the people who need them."

•••

As soon as the sun had started to rise we left, not willing to waste any more time. I didn’t sleep last night, I stayed awake on watch, Kaylee constantly running through my mind throughout the night.

We'd been walking for a few hours by now, Bob and Tyreese trailing behind Michonne and me. I stopped when I noticed something on the floor, bending down seeing a small stone picking it up before standing up straight again. Wetting my thumb I rubbed the dirt from the stone revealing the red color.

"Is that jasper?" Michonne asked, I nodded.

"It’s a good color, it brings your eyes" she laughed.

"When Mrs. Richards went into A block when we were leaving asked me to keep an eye out, going to use it for her old man’s marker"

"You know all them back there?"

"You stay in one place a couple hours, you'd be surprised what you pick up" I tell her before starting to walk again.

We make our way onto the main road, coming up to a gas station and a tire store. Trees had fallen down all around but had still kept growing all around the building. I stop looking at the where the trees have fallen, branches and leaves everywhere.

"You see something?" Bob asks me.

"Maybe?" I pull back some of the leaves looking underneath them. "Come help me with this." Bob helps me pull the branches away revealing a car underneath.

"Jackpot!" he shouts.

Bob and Tyreese work on pulling everything off the car as I got in and tried to hot wire it. I sighed realizing the battery was dead, I pulled myself out telling the others, "we gotta find us a new battery," I go to look in the window of the mechanics as a walker slammed against it.

"We got a friend in there" I tell them as I step back. "Come on" I tell them, walking back to the front of the shop.

"Let’s clear a path, see how many we got" I tell them, we all go to work cutting and pulling the branches out of the way to clear a path to the door. "Hey, take it easy man" I tell Tyreese who was slashing his machete back and forth at the tree, "we don’t know what we’re dealing with" I remind him.

He keeps swinging until machete gets stuck on something, he keeps pulling it trying to get it free. He keeps yanking until finally he pulls it free and out from amongst the branches, when he does there’s wiring still entangled around it. He pulls it off and goes back to cutting the branches away before I can turn back and move them, a walkers hand reached out from among the bushes snarling and grabbing for me. I take a step back as Michonne swings her machete down cutting the arm clean off.

More walkers start popping out from behind the tree, one grabbing onto Bob’s jacket, the other trying to get to Tyreese but tangling its self-up in the branches and leaves. I pull my knife out quickly stabbing the walker in the head causing hang from the branches its tangled up in. Michonne went to the other side of Bob taking the walkers head off that was holding onto him.

Tyreese held a walker back, pushing it back and forth against the door it was half out off, not letting it go so it could be taken care of. "Tyreese!" Bob tried to get his attention.

"Ty!" I shouted a little louder, but he wasn’t hearing us it’s like he'd slipped into his own world.

"Ty, let it go" Michonne tried, Ty pushed the walker one more time with force causing him to fall backwards, the walker getting free at that same time falling onto him. I grabbed the walker by its torn up shirt pulling it off him, I dropped it to the floor as Bob circled with his gun shooting the walker.

I held my arm out for Tyreese helping him to his feet, a blank look still on his face.

"Why the hell didn’t you let go?" Michonne asked him in an annoyed tone. He gave her a blank look before turning and facing another direction. Maybe it was a mistake bringing him out here, just hours after what happened with Karen. I could hear Kaylee’s voice in my head telling me there was nothing I could do about it now, we just had to get it done.

We had finally cleared a path to the front door.

"Okay you two stay here, keep your eyes peeled for anything and start clearing off that car" I tell Michonne and Tyreese.

"Come on" I nudge Bob before turning my torch on and making my way into the store front. Bob was right behind me, we cleared the store before heading to the back shop.

"Here we go" I tell him, spotting the car batteries on the back shelf. Placing my crossbow down and using my mouth to hold my torch I grabbed one of the batteries placing it on the table, using my knife to pop the caps off.

Bob looks over when I do, "hmmm cells look pretty dry" he tells me looking down at the battery.

"Distilled water and that cleans right up" I tell him.

•••

We found what we needed and headed back out, the car completely uncovered and free from the branches that had been growing around it. I was under the hood switching the batteries out, Bob leant against the wall beside me smoking.

"You never told us about the group you were in before us" I mentioned to him.

"Which one?" he asked, "you know, when you and Kaylee found me out there on that road I almost kept walking" he tells me.

"Why is that?"

"I was done being a witness," he tells me as I keep working on the engine. "Two times, two groups I was the last one standing. Like I was supposed to see it over and over again." He sighed breathing in the smoke.

"But when it’s you out there on your own with just the quiet, it used to be I’d by a bottle of anything just to sleep at night. The run to the big stop, I did it for me so I could get a bottle of something, I picked it up held it in my hand then put it back down and the whole shelf came down with it. I’m the reason the walkers happened, the reason why Zach died."

"That’s bullshit" i tell him, and his eyes turn to me, "you went on that run to help, it’s not your fault Zach died. me and Kaylee picked that spot no one would have known" he looks like he wants to argue that but we didn’t have time for that. "you ain’t gonna be standing on your own anymore"

"Get in and check the engine" I tell him, he nods pushing himself off the wall and to the driver’s side of the car.

"Oh and don’t tell Kaylee you purposely went off the list or she might kill you" I tell him, making him laugh. This people thing wasn’t something I’d normally do but I guess Kaylee was rubbing off on me more than I realized.

He jumps in the driver’s seat turning the ignition on and the car fires up, I clap a little before whistling signaling the other we were ready to go. We grabbed our bags and piled into the car before taking back off.

•••

It was now midday and the sun was high in the sky and we had finally made it. We had parked the car and heading the last part on foot through the buildings that surrounded us.

"Looks like we’re getting closer" Bob says.

Tyreese looks down at the map, "the building we want is just up ahead" he tells us.

We reach the building, quietly entering it making sure we weren’t going to have any bigger surprises.

The building was dead silent, no one or thing in sight. We all rushed into the veterinarian room where the medications were stored.

"Okay try and make this quick" I tell them as we split up through the class. We found the big cupboard holding all the meds, I pulled the list from my pocket looking at the stuff we needed.

"Anything with the word _cillin_ or _cin_ , _c-i-n_ grab it cause they’re antibiotics" Bob tells us. We search through the shelves grabbing everything that had those words on them.

Michonne and I head into the next room looking at the list of things we needed get, I opened a cupboard finding the iv bags placing them in my bag gently. We started ticking more things on the list and I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

"What’s so funny?" Michonne asked me, confused.

"Kaylee and her damn lists," I tell her and she instantly understood.

“That girl sure loves her lists" she laughed a little too.

"We always tease each other about them on our runs and how much I hated using them. She’d love seeing this" I hold up the list I was willingly using. "She was always right"

"She'll be okay, Daryl" she tries to reassure me, "she’s stubborn as hell we all know that." Yeah she was right, if there’s anything my girl was stubborn and never went down without a fight.

Bob and Tyreese walked in with their bags filled, "How'd you do?" Bob askes.

"Bags, tubes, connectors, clamps, everything that’s on the list" I tell him. "What about y'all?"

"Yeah, everything."

"Alright let’s roll" I tell them as I place my bag over my shoulder. We started making our way through a long dark hallway, chairs and desks thrown everywhere. I stopped everyone when we got to a door I could hear noises coming out of, looking inside the broken door there was two walkers making their way to us.

"That way" Michonne points to the exit sign, we start picking up our pace. We make our way into a room darker than the hallway, closing the door behind us the walkers pushed themselves into it.

"It’s stuck" Bob says as he tries to push the fire door open, but it wasn’t budging.

"Stairs" Michonne pointed, we followed her to the stairs only to be lead to a door chained together with walkers on the other side.

"How many?" I ask Michonne about the walkers behind the chained door.

"I’m not sure" she tells me trying to see through the small cracks of the doors. More walkers started to bang on the door we came in from, we were stuck. They had managed to push the door back open and starting to head our way.

"We can take them" Tyreese tells us.

"No! They’re infected just like at the prison," Bob tells us "We fire on them and get their blood on us or breathe it in we’re in trouble. We didn’t come all this way just to get sick." The man had a point.

"How do we know the ones in there aren’t any different?" Ty asks, pointing to the walkers behind the chained door.

"We don’t” Michonne says.

"Our lucks gotta change sometime" I tell them placing my crossbow down and grabbing a table pulling one of the legs off, jamming it into the chains. "You ready?"

"Do it." I pull the chains off causing the doors to swing open. Bob fired his gun as Michonne swung her machete taking two down. Ty passed me back my crossbow and we ran through the doors, "Come on!" We ran up the stairs.

We made it to the second floor, there were more walkers up here in the classrooms coming out hearing the noise in the corridor as we ran down it. bob pulled tabled and chairs to try and block their pathway as much as possible.

"We don’t have an exit" Michonne points out trying to push the doors to the stairs open.

"Then we make one" I tell her.

"Get down!" Tyreese screams as he throws a fire extinguisher at the window causing it to shatter. I helped pull the others up onto the windowsill as they jumped out the window onto the overhanging next to it. Bob jumps out after me losing his footing and falling forward, his bag going over the edge but he still had a hold of it, he wouldn’t let it go.

"Bob let go of it!" Michonne tells him but he wouldn’t, the walkers were gathered under him trying to get a grip on the bag themselves.

"Come on, just let it go man" Ty tried, but he kept wrestling for it until he got it free from the walkers, pulling it back up and rolling back into the middle of the roof.

Bob's bag had opened in the process, I walked around the others bending down grabbing the bottle of whisky that rolled out of his bag.

"You got no meds in your bag, just this?" I asked him standing back up to my feet. "We got people we love back home dying and you’re getting yourself in danger for a bottle?"

"Maybe you should have kept walking that day" I go to throw the bottle.

"Don’t" Bob tries to stop me, his hand on his gun in his holster. I walk straight up to him, pulling his gun out of his holster grabbing him by the scruff.

"Daryl just let him go, he made his choice. Nothing you can do about it" Ty told me, trying to get me to calm down now.

"Kaylee thought you were a better person, if she could see you now…" I spat letting him go.

"I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, it’s just for when it gets quiet!"

I push the bottle into his chest, "you take one sip before any of our people get these meds in them, I will beat your ass you hear me?"

I place his gun in my waist band before grabbing my crossbow and getting the hell off of this roof. We had all somehow made it back to the car, Tyreese and Michonne were looking at the map for the quickest way to get home and Bob was staying away from me. I was sat in the front of the car holding another stone I had found, it was blueish matching Kaylee’s eyes. God _Kaylee,_ my mind couldn’t go two minutes without worrying about her and whether she was okay back home.

"We’re taking highway 100" Tyreese tells me, I just nod. It would take us hours to get back, now we wouldn’t be back before dark that was for sure. Everyone started piling back into the car, Michonne got into the driver’s side next to me.

"You were right, what you said earlier about the tail going cold" she tells me, "I don’t need to be going out there anymore.”

"Good" is all I say before closing the car door.

•••

It was dark by the time we pulled up to the prison. My knees were bouncing up and down on the car floor, anxiously waiting to get back.

Someone pulled the gate open allowing us to drive in as soon as the car hit the tarmac of the courtyard. I pushed the passenger side door open, grabbing my bag and jumping out. I couldn’t wait for the car to come to a complete stop, I needed to get them the meds, I needed to get to her.

"Daryl, wait!" I heard Michonne from behind me along with the screeching of the tires as she pulled the car to a stop. But I couldn’t wait, I couldn’t stop.

I ran through the prison halls and tombs that led the way to A block, a pair of footsteps running behind me.

As I came to the corner, I slowed down ready to be let into A but what I saw as I turned the corner to A block was the window allowing you to see into the room connected had been smashed and the thick steel door was wide open for anyone to come in or out.

_What was happening?_

I picked up my pace again going into the block but I was just saw more stuff that wasn’t right. There are bodies laid all over the floor, both walker and human blood splatted over the walls.

_What the hell happened?_

I ran up the stairs trying to listen for her sweet voice but it never came. Maggie walks out of one of the cells, covered in blood and her eyes widened a little seeing me but she just pointed to a cell a few door down from her.

I walked as fast as I could to that cell, as I got there my eyes went wide. Inside the cell, it was like my body had hit a brick wall at full speed causing it to knock me back a few steps.

The bag in my hand dropped to my feet as my heart started to sink.

There on the bed laid Kaylee, her body still. A tube was down her throat, taped down to her face, a bag connected to it which Rick was squeezing. Hershel stood next to them until he saw me. He made his way over to me, I felt his presence next to me but I was unable to take my eyes of off Lee, she looked so peaceful. 

"Daryl, she collapsed and stopped breathing" Hershel telling me that caused me to finally turn to look at him. "We placed the breathing tube in to breathe for her and to let her lungs rest" he tells me my eyes drift back to her.

She had to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments, I'd love to hear what you all think! leave a kudos if you liked it!


	35. Chapter 35

_Kaylee's POV_

I watched as Daryl headed back into the tombs until I could no longer see him, taking a second to compose myself. I felt like I was going to cry, why do I feel like this?

Ugh _hormones_.

I headed back over to the main cell block, all the cells on the bottom floor now filled with people who were sick. I head to the only open cell checking over the supplies Hershel and I had stocked up earlier in the day. I didn’t need to keep checking and double checking the supplies but I had to keep busy, especially with Daryl out there. We'd used the last of our antibiotics on Karen and David, the thought of their burned bodies comes to mind quickly, I shake those thought away.

I hear someone banging on the cell block door, unlike the other cell blocks this had a locked door instead of a gate that locked automatically.

I place my stethoscope around my neck before heading out of the cell. Walking over to the main door standing on the tips of my toes to peek through the door. I see Maggie holding up a sick Glenn, oh crap.

"Hershel!" I call for him, "I need the keys!" Hershel being the only not sick one here was keeping the keys on him, just in case. He came down the stair as fast as he could, before throwing me the key. Catching them I quickly opened the door for Maggie and Glenn.

"I found him in our cell coughing," Maggie tells us.

"Come on, let’s get him in a cell upstairs" I tell her going the other side of Glenn to help Maggie walk him up the stairs. We stopped as we hit the top, just enough time for me to catch my breath.

"I’m okay," I tell her and Hershel who was walking behind us. We get Glenn to one of the cells on to the upper level of the cell block helping him onto the bed. "Maggie you need to go" I tell her.

"No I’m not leaving him, I’ve already been exposed."

"She's right Maggie" Hershel tells her. "We need you out there, we'll look after Glenn."

She looks at me and Hershel then to Glenn before sighing, "fine." She kisses Glenn’s forehead before standing back up and walking out of cell. Hershel follows her out to let her back out the cell block while I stay with Glenn.

I pour him the last cup of Hershel’s tea holding it up to his mouth for him, "here drink some of this," I tell him. He takes small sips before he starts coughing again. I place the cup back on the floor and put a few more pillows behind Glenn so he can lean back and not choke on blood.

Hershel comes back in with a cold rag handing to me to place on Glenn’s forehead. "You need to keep that on your forehead," Hershel tells him, "veterinarians orders." He smiles before heading back out of the cell, probably down to check on another person who we could hear coughing from up here.

"You need to rest" I tell Glenn, as I stand back up.

"This sucks," he sighs putting his hand over the rag holding it in place.

"Mhmm," I agree with him, pulling my stethoscope from around my neck, putting it in my ear and to Glenn’s chest checking his lung sounds.

"After everything, we get taken out by a glorified cold."

I pull back putting my stethoscope back around my neck, his lungs didn’t sound good but that was to be expected. "You can’t think like that" I tell him.

"You look as bad as I feel," he lets out in a hushed tone, speaking hurting his throat more. "You should probably rest too." Did Maggie tell him? I wouldn’t put it past her to that, she tells him everything.

"I don’t have time to rest," I tell him before grabbing the empty flask and heading out of his cell. I walked down the steps slowly trying not to lose my breath again, I had no time to be getting worse. I had so many other people to help.

As I got to the bottom I see Hershel walk out of one of the bottom cells, pulling the mask off of his face, "Hershel you can’t—” I stop as he gets closer into the light and I see blood on his face. Someone had coughed on him, he should never have been in here.

"It was the risk of being in here, it’s okay" he tells me as he notices the worry on my face.

I handed Hershel the flask back letting him know it was empty. "Some of these people won’t last long enough for Daryl to be back with the antibiotics."

"We're going to need to make more then," he tells me. "I’ll have to go out and get more berries."

"You can’t go out there alone!" I tell him.

"Like you said, Kaylee, some of these people won’t last. We need to do what we can and what I can do is go get the berries to keep the symptoms at bay till they get back," he tells me more sternly. He was right. of course he was right. Most of us won’t last six hours let alone the whole night, people were getting sicker quicker and we had to do something.

"Okay" i give in, "at least take this with you." I pull my gun from my thigh holster handing it to him. He takes the gun willingly while handing me the keys to the block.

"You'll be okay here, you know how to handle yourself," he says as he puts his hand on my shoulder. "Cell's one through seven are all showing less symptoms than the rest of them." I quickly run and grab a pen and paper from the supplies we had brought in. Quickly writing what Hershel was saying, he carried on, "let’s move all the supplies out of that cell so we have more room." I nod agreeing with him.

We both walk over the door and I quickly unlock it for Hershel, he walks out and I close the door behind him.

_You've got this Kaylee, you trained for this,_ I took as much of a deep breath I could; it was starting to get harder to do that. The cold sweats had started to kick in as it dripped from my forehead.

•••

I had moved pretty much all our supplies out of the cell and onto a table in the middle of the block. We had everything we needed: breathing tubes, ambo bags, iv lines, basically everything apart from actual medicine.

Once again there was a knock on the door of the cell, as I got closer to the door I could see through the window that it wasn’t Hershel. It was carol, with a lot more people.

I pull my mask up, covering my mouth before I unlocked the door for them. "Are you…?" I ask her, she shakes her head.

"Bringing more people in that are showing symptoms." I look behind her seeing at least seven more people all coughing and sweating.

"Okay, everyone inside and find a free cell and I will come ‘round and check on you." They all started walking single file into the cell block and as I see the last adult come in Lizzie appears at the other door leading outside.

"Kaylee? Carol?" She asks in quiet tone. Carol looks to me with tears in her eyes, Lizzie was sick. "They said I should come here," she tells us.

"Come on, sweetie," I hold my hand out for her, she walks over, putting her shaky hand in mine. I look to carol once again telling her "I’ll look after her."

We both walked in the cell block, the heavy door being closed behind us. I walk with her upstairs to an empty cell, but she holds my hand tighter. "I don’t want to be on my own," she tells me her voice quiet.

"How about you sit in with Glenn?" I ask her, she looks at me then to the cell Glenn was in. "I could use your help keeping an eye on him while I’m checking everyone else out?" She finally nods and we walk over to Glenn’s cell.

He was still leant up against the wall his eyes closed but his hand still holding the rag to his forehead. "Hey Glenn, Lizzie's going to sit in here with you to help me out, cool?"

He opens his eyes and looks at me, I nod my head at him, "yeah cool" he says.

"If his breathing gets any worse come shout for me, okay?" Lizzie nods again before letting go of my hand and sits down on the floor of Glenn’s cell.

•••

Walking out of one of the cells i wipe the sweet from my forehead sighing, these people were doing well. I had been going cell to cell checking on the new people that had come in.

I'd barely made a dent, nearly every cell was filled top to bottom. I'd worked out a system writing their vitals on them as i took them, this way i could keep track and when Hershel was back he'd know if they were getting any worse.

I heard a bang on the cell door. Turning to look I see my dad pointing to the viewing room. I walked slowly over to the room, my energy starting to drain from me faster. Going in and seeing my dad’s face I could tell there was something up.

"How are you feeling?" He asks me as I lean against the wall helping to keep me up straight.

"I’m okay" I tell him forcing a small smile.

"I'm going on a run with Carol, see if we can find anything to help in the local towns," he tells me.

"You sure that’s a good idea?" I ask him, unsure.

"Carl and Judith are safe, they're in the library with the other kids and Beth," he tells me. Okay this wasn't something we were discussing.

Sighing I just nod, "just be safe" I tell him, something was going on but I couldn’t worry about that, I had a cell block full of sick people I had to worry about.

"Pinky promise" he says with a smile before I hear someone scream for me.

"Kaylee!" I look to dad telling him I had to go before taking off back into the cell block, my adrenaline kicking in.

"Henry’s choking!" I hear Sasha from the upper level.

I grab a bag and an intubation kit from the table before running up the stairs and finding Henry’s cell.

He laid on the floor, Glenn and Sasha next to him. Lizzie stands outside the cell, looking in. Just then the door bangs again.

"Lizzie, take these!" I hand her my keys, "go let them in!" I tell her before pushing into the cell and getting on my knees.

"Glenn, I need you to hold him down, he's going to fight this" He nods at me before putting his arm over Henry.

"Sasha, hold the light," I open the kit pulling everything out using the scope to see what I’m doing. "Henry I know you’re scared but you need to relax for me. I’m helping, just try and relax" I tell him as inset the tube and place the ambo bag on.

"Take that" I hand the bag to Sasha. "Squeeze every 5 seconds," I tell her taking my stethoscope from around my neck, placing it onto Henry’s chest. "Okay it’s in." I let out a breath that I was holding. Sasha and Glenn start coughing more so I take the bag from Sasha, making sure to not stop. The adrenaline started to wear off once again, the full force of sickness and drained feeling coming back as i try to hold my cough in.

"You two drink some of this," I hear Hershel from behind me stepping into the cell. He pours out some his tea he had seemingly already made handing it to Glenn and Sasha.

"I had to intubate him," I tell Hershel, "I haven’t been able to check on everyone but the worst see—” I cut myself off by coughing.

"Okay, you can rest Kaylee," he tells me, taking the bag from my hands and replacing it with a cup and taking over squeezing.

"I’m okay" I tell him, which he ignores.

"This is some council meeting," he laughs.

"We’re two members short" Sasha points out.

I laugh between the coughs. "I can fill one of those spots" I say while taking small sips.

"I think we should make some new rules before the others get back and object," Hershel tells us.

"I hear by rule that we have spaghetti every Wednesday," he smiles while Sasha just looks at him. "We just have to find some spaghetti."

"Taco Tuesdays, those were always the best," I smile.

"Are you okay to take over?" Hershel asks Sasha who nods, taking the ambu bag from him.

"Are you okay to go on rounds?" he asks me. I nod, pushing myself to my feet. "You can come with me" he tells Glenn.

"If you feel lightheaded or anything call for someone to take over, we'll work in shifts," he tells Sasha.

As Hershel and I make our way out of the cell Glenn stops us, "how long will that keep him alive?"

"As long as we're willing to do it" I tell him. We carry on walking, Hershel handing me my gun back as we walk down the stairs. "I’ve been writing their vitals on them in sharpie so we could keep track if they worsen over time" 

"That’s a smart idea, Kaylee" he tells me.

"I checked on everyone on this side, I hadn’t made it this side," i point to the cells on the right hand side.

"That’s okay, me and Glenn will go check on those you round on the people who haven’t been seen yet." I nod grabbing my bag off the middle table.

•••

I had checked on a few people in the first couple of cells, everyone seemed to be stable for now but that could turn at any moment. All i could do was check on them, give them tea and hope for the best until Daryl and the others got back with real medication.

Stepping out of the cell I spot Hershel wheeling the gurney into another cell were Glenn stood. Making my way over I see Mr. Jacobson had died. "He was stable when I checked on him" I ramble out, shocked.

"We know this can work fast and even faster in some people," Hershel reminds me, he was right. "Help me get him on here," he asks Glenn.

They put him on, placing a sheet over him and wheel him out as Lizzie comes down the stairs. I make my way over to her.

"What are they doing?" she asks me.

"They're taking Mr. Jacobson to a quieter place" I tell her. I place the back on hand on her forehead, she wasn’t burning up which was a good thing.

"There’s a book in Hershel’s room, Tom Sawyer. I want you to go get it and read it tonight. That’s your job, okay?"

"I won’t finish it, it will be to dark soon."

"Do your best okay? And drink some of tea," I tell her, pouring her a cup and handing it to her. Taking it she gives me one last look before turning and heading back upstairs.

Making my way into the next cell I stop in tracks. _Caroline_. Of course she was here and sick, she lived in D.

"Kaylee," she said her voice coming out weak, "we can finally talk."

I ignore her the best I can, placing my bag on the floor. "Sit forward," I tell her, taking her vitals. She may be a monster but I’m still a doctor.

"Please, Kaylee?" she begged. I dropped my hand, standing to my feet again and pulling my pen out, writing her vitals on her arm.

"I could die today and I want to talk to my daughter. Tell her that I love her," she says confused.

"Really? Going with the _‘I could die today'_ line?" I look at her in disbelief, trying to ignore the last thing she said. "News flash _Caroline,_ we could all die today so…" I roll my eyes.

"I don’t want you to die, especially not knowing that I’ve changed, that I’m a better person now."

"You don’t want _me_ to die?!" My voice comes out cracked, "I could have died so many times when I was with you and you wouldn’t have even noticed!" I can feel the tears building up behind my eyes, the lump in my throat just getting bigger but I could no longer hold in this emotion.

"And don’t talk to me about changing, you haven’t and won’t ever change and I don’t care anymore! I don’t need you in my life, I never have. Without any help from you, I became a better person, I became a doctor! I help people unlike you who just tears everything around them to the ground!"

She looks at me like I had just ripped her heart from her a chest, but I didn’t feel bad, not in the slightest. I pour her a cup placing it on the floor before picking my bag back up and walking out. I stop at the door turning, "and drink your tea it will make you feel better," I tell her before fully walking out.

I lean my body against the cool wall, my breathing getting heavier. I had to calm down. I could feel my hand shaking, I can’t believe I really just did that. I could feel the tears rolling down my face, one hand clenched around my necklace and the other clenching so hard my nails dug into the palm of my hand.

I quickly got pulled back to reality of everything happening when a man that I didn’t know the name of came out of his cell coughing so hard he had blood all over his face, blood now coming from his eyes as forms of tears. I pushed myself off the wall making my way over to him as he started to choke and fell to the floor at my feet.

I fall to my knees, using all the little strength in me to roll him on his side as he kept choking on his blood and then it stopped, he stopped choking because he had stopped breathing.

Sighing, I pulled my knife from my waist. Looking up and around the cell I could see all eyes were on me, everyone watching from their cells as another person dies from this sickness, wondering if they would be next. Would I be next?

_No, I can’t think like that, I had to be strong, not just for me anymore._ "Everyone go back in your cells" I said loud enough for it to echo through the cell block.

"Here, let’s get him on this" Sasha says as she pulls the gurney over to me, the sweat falling from her face. You could tell how much worse this was getting just by looking at her. I place my knife back in its holster before collapsing the gurney down making it easier for us to lift him onto it.

"Okay, one, two," I say as we lift his body onto the gurney. I could tell it had tired Sasha out more than she let on from hearing her breathing getting heavier.

"Sasha, go rest" I tell her trying to calm my own breathing, "Are you okay making it to your cell by yourself?" I ask and she nods, too breathless to answer with words.

I lean most of my weight onto the gurney as I pushed it to the viewing room. It was getting later into the night now, the sky dark and cloudy. The cell block was only being lit up by small lanterns dotted around. Pulling my knife out once more I take the deepest breath I possibly can before pushing my knife into his skull.

"Kaylee?" I hear Hershel’s calm voice come from the door way. Looking up I see a sad look on his face, one that’s become permanent.

"That’s the third one we've lost," I tell him.

"You should really get some rest," he tells me, placing the back of his hand on my forehead.

"I can’t," I tell him, pushing his hand away as I wipe the sweat beading down my face, "I have to keep going."

"Keep going till you drop, that’s your plan?" he asks me in a certain tone.

"I can’t just stand around doing nothing, I have to help. You can’t do this by yourself." He knew I was right, there were too many people here that needed our help and he needed me to help him.

"That may be true but you need to rest, not just for you," he gives me a knowing look. I didn’t think Hershel would play that card. "Have you told him?" he asks me.

"I don’t know how, or when the right time would be. It’s been a long few days" I tell him with a sigh.

"When my Annette told me she was pregnant with Beth, she just came out and said it. 'Hershel, I’m having your baby.'" Hershel chuckled as he tells me. "You'll know when the time is right to tell him," he reassures me with his hand on my shoulder.

"I’m scared," I tell him, my voice breaking as I do.

"You'll be okay, Kaylee," he tells me, "as long as you rest, that is.” I laugh a little which quickly turned into coughing. "Come on, let’s get you back in a cell." He puts his arm around me, helping me walk back into the cell block. As we walk back in, Hershel closes the cell doors "just in case," he tells me.

He helps me into a cell and onto the bed. "Please don’t lock me in," I practically beg him.

"I won’t," he tells me, "You just needs to rest for a couple of hours so you can go back to being super woman." He laughs a little, I knew what he was trying to stay positive to keep me positive, but that was getting harder every minute as the toll of the sickness began to really hit me.

•••

It had been a few hours, it must be early morning at this point. The cell block was quiet, every time I closed my eyes the fear of not waking back up would hit, forcing me to stay awake.

As the hours went by the worse I felt, my head getting dizzier and starting to hurt more and more, all the energy I had before drained from me. My eyes heavy and hurting, body aching like never before. _You have to keep going,_ I kept telling myself. _I had to keep going._

"Hershel!" I heard Lizzie shout from upstairs. I could hear the fear in her voice. I swung my legs around pushing myself up from the bed, using the wall to lean against and keep me upright.

As i push myself out of my cell I watch as a walker pushes Hershel to the ground. "Everybody stay in your cells!" He shouts to everyone. Another patient, Cindy, tries to pull the walker off of him but it wasn’t working.

I pull my gun from its holster on my thigh, trying to hold my arm up straight but it was unsteady. I moved closer to get a better shot as Hershel holds it at an arm’s length but Cindy kept blocking my shot. Someone else came out of his cell with a gun pointed to the walker.

The gun goes off as another walker bites his arm, everything was happening so fast. Cindy goes down as the gun kept being fired. I realize most of the cell doors where still open. Walkers were coming out of them at the sound of the gunshots.

I started firing my gun at them, as unsteady as I was I still had to try. Hershel had gotten free from under the walker pushing himself back to his feet.

"Kaylee!" He shouts getting my attention, pointing to the upper level. Turning my head I spot Henry, or what use to be Henry, breathing tube and bag stilled attached, Lizzie leading him away from Glenn’s cell.

"Go!" I tell him, he was the one closer to the stairs, multiple walkers were in my way of them. He runs as much as he can with his prosthetic towards the stairs, I kept shooting the walkers getting in his way before my gun clicked. Shit, I was out of bullets.

In that moment I was pushed to the ground a walker falling on top of me, looking up to it under all that blood was her. It was Caroline. It was like the world had stopped in that moment, everything moving in slow motion. I hold her up with my arm trying to keep her away from me, keep her from biting me.

She keeps thrashing, trying her best to get me but I didn’t move. Flashes start going by when I was six, then when I was ten, then twelve, her face, then her voice, the pain from everything happened. She was dead, she was _dead_.

My brain kicked back in and time sped up again realizing what actually was happening. I bring up the butt of my gun slamming it into her head her body going limp. Pushing her off me, I didn’t stop there. I kept going, something in me keeping me stuck in this moment, like everyone else had disappeared.

Twenty-three years of problems resurfacing all at once, my gun falls to the ground, my body catching up to me not being able to swing into her again. Blood covered my hands, her blood. It was her blood. She was dead. Her body lay on the ground beneath me. She was dead.

I was pulled back to what was happening by the screams of my name. "Kaylee!" It was Lizzie "It’s Glenn!" she cried. I could see Hershel fighting off the walkers on the upper level.

I pull my axe from my waist swinging it at the walkers that got in my way as I ran as fast as my body let me up the stairs and down to Glenn’s cell were he laid on the ground choking on his own blood.

I slide down next to him, pushing him onto his side with a struggle. "Come on, Glenn, please!" I begged him, I couldn’t lose him. Maggie couldn’t lose him.

"Lizzie go get a breathing kit" I tell her before she runs down the stairs, grabbing a kit. "Hershel!" I call for him but got no answer. I couldn’t wait but I could feel my body starting to shut down.

"What do you need?" Sasha ask as she comes to my side.

"Get me a light," I tell her as I pull my body up to Glenn’s head, holding myself up on my knees. “hold on, Glenn. Just hold on."

Sasha and Lizzie come back to me at the same time. I take the kit from Lizzie, opening it up. Sasha turns the light on, pointing it my way.

"No, no, no."

"What is it?" she ask me.

"His air way is closing up, I can’t see a thing!" I say, my breathing becoming more hitched in the process. I take the light from her, shinning it down his throat. I try to hold my coughs in,.

"He’s turning blue!" Lizzie says, fear lacing her words.

"Put your hand on his throat," I tell her, moving her hand exactly where i need it, "Hold still do not move," i tell her, finally seeing a way in. I place the light in my mouth, freeing both hands as I place the tube down his throat. Sasha places the bag on as I check to make sure it’s in.

"I’m in," I tell her. Sasha lets out a breath she was holding as I start to cough.

"Are you okay?" she asks me, I just nod trying to calm my coughing down but it just got worse. I couldn’t catch my breath as I coughed, blood starting to come out onto the floor as everything finally caught up to me. I couldn’t hold it off any longer.

I looked to Sasha, panicking as I struggled to breathe. More and more the fear on my face, this is worse than before.

The last thing I hear as my body hit the ground was Sasha calling for Hershel. Then it was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you think. Comment and leave a kudos if you did!


	36. Chapter 36

_Daryl's POV_

I was pacing back and forth outside of her cell, Hershel had taken the bag from the floor into her cell, placing an IV in her arm, filling it with fluids.

Bob had passed me and went into her cell, his eyes on the floor never once looking up at me. He helps Hershel prepare the antibiotics, inserting them into her IV bag. This will make her better, it had too.

Maggie made her way over to the entrance of her cell, gently placing her hand on my shoulder taking my attention away from Kaylee and stopping me from pacing anymore. "She's gonna be okay Daryl, she has to be," she tells me.

I simply nod, not being able to actually put into words how much she _had_ to be okay. I couldn't lose her not again, not after everything we’ve been through.

Maggie drops her hand from me as she walks into the cell, "Daddy, you can rest now. They're back," she tells Hershel, you could tell he was drained but he wasn’t letting up.

"I'll rest when she’s at least breathing on her own," he tells her bluntly while handing her some of the antibiotics Bob had made up. "Take this to Glenn, put it in his IV." Nodding she makes her way back to Glenn.

"Hey, I gotta talk to you," Rick says, coming out of the cell.

"That important right now?" I ask him, not wanting to be away from her more than I already have.

"Yeah, it is." He walks away, sighing I follow.

"It was Carol," he tells me with a sigh, leaning against the railing.

"What?"

"Karen and David, it was Carol. She’s gone." _Carol what?_ "I did what I had to, Daryl. She killed two of our own, she couldn’t stay here," he keeps telling me like he was trying to persuade himself more than me. "She's gonna be alright. She’s got a car, supplies, weapons—she’s a survivor," he tells me, but you could see it in his eyes he didn’t fully believe himself.

"Say it again but try meaning it this time," I spit.

"She said she did it, that she did it for us," he says, "she wasn’t sorry."

"That was her, but that ain’t her," I tell him straight. Carol in her right mind wouldn’t have done that. "We have too much shit going on here." Whatever happened, happened. I couldn’t be thinking of that now.

"You’re right, I’m going to check on Carl and Judith. Any changes here come let me know." I nod my head, he walks back to Kaylee’s cell to let Hershel know where he was going before he headed down the steps and out of A block.

Now that Rick was gone, I take my first steps into the cell Kaylee was in. Hershel still sat at her bedside squeezing the bag.

Standing next to the bed and looking down at her, I could see her pale and beautiful face. She looked peaceful laying there, her chest rising and lowering at the same tempo the bag was being squeezed, the faint sound of the drip of her IV echoing in the silent cell.

"She wouldn’t stop and rest for more than an hour or so," Hershel breaks the silence telling me. "She overdid it but wouldn’t listen to me or to her own body, she’s too stubborn for her own good sometimes," he sighs, he wasn’t wrong. Lee was probably the most stubborn person I knew, no she _is_ the most stubborn person I know, she’s not dying. Not today.

"Here," Hershel motions for me to take the bag from him. "Squeeze every five seconds." I take the bag, squeezing like he says. "There, I’ll give you some time with her," he tells me standing from the seat beside her bed and leaving her cell. Taking a seat myself, I concentrate on the bag and making sure I was doing it properly, breathing for her.

"You're gonna be okay, Lee," I whisper, "you have to be."

I'd never been much of an emotional person, definitely not at home as a child, or before the world went to shit, not until Lee came into my life. She makes me feel things I’d never felt before. The pain I feel at the thought of losing her was like the pain I felt that day in the tunnels when I thought I’d lost her. I wanted to take all her pain away like that night in the guard tower.

But the love she makes me feel, the happiness I feel deep down inside me when she smiles and the sun shines down onto her, bouncing off her hair. The joy I feel when she so rarely laughs, her huge smile she has while holding Judith in her arms. Or the warmth and pure content when she lays in my arms, all the small things I couldn’t bear to loose. I can’t lose any of it.

I can’t lose her.

•••

It had been a few hours when Hershel had popped back in to check on us but went back to checking the other patients. My hands starting to cramp but I wouldn’t stop squeezing the bag. I'd breathe for her as long as she needed me to.

Everything went from calm to terror in a split second.

Kaylee started to choke. _No, no, no! Please no._ I stand to my feet, pushing the chair back, bag still in my hand.

"Hershel, she’s choking!" I scream out of the cell. I immediately heard footsteps making their way to Kaylee’s cell but it was getting worse, she was going to die. My hands now starting to shake as I drop the bag. Hershel rushes into the room, Maggie behind him.

"Oh thank the lord, this is good!" Hershel says a smile on his face.

"How—how is any of this good?!" My voice raised. Maggie pulls me back closer to the door, keeping her hands on my shoulder. "Do something!" I shout louder.

"She’s choking on the tube, that means she can breathe on her own," he tells me as calm as he can, but it all came to me in parts as the sounds of Lee’s choking filled my ears.

"She’s okay, Daryl, she’s okay," I can hear Maggie behind me.

I watch as Hershel removes her breathing tube and Kaylee takes a gasp of breath. I let out a breath I’d been holding, the tension leaving my body. I watched closely as her chest rose and fell by its self, she was breathing.

"What happened!" I hear a voice booming from behind me, pushing their way into the cell and past me. "Oh Bean," Rick cried as he sits next to her bedside, holding her hand in his.

Maggie pulls me out of the cell, my back immediately leaning against the wall to hold myself up. A single tear falling down my face, my hands still shaking slightly.

"Hey, she’s okay," Maggie tells me, "she’s going to be okay."

•••

_Kaylee's POV_

The first thing I felt was burning, like someone poured acid down my throat. Someone had their hand wrapped around mine, holding on tightly. My eyes felt heavy as I tried to open, them the sun shined brightly through the windows and into my cell.

"I think she’s waking up." I hear a hushed voice, my dad. He was the one sitting by my side.

I push my eyes open all the way, the sun blinding me for a moment before adjusting to the light. Looking around the cell, I spot dad by my side still holding my hand in both of his and what looked like tears in his eyes. Behind him stood Hershel, a big smile on his face.

"Hi," I croak out, my voice raspy. Hershel passes me a cup which dad takes from him before helping me move to sit up.

"Take it easy now, Kaylee," Hershel reminds me. When I’m fully up I take the cup from dad, taking small sips. The water cooled my sore throat.

"What happened?" I ask confused, the events of the day slowly coming back to me. Dad takes the cup back from me before helping me lay back again.

"You pushed too hard and passed out," Hershel tells me, "you stopped breathing for a minute or two so I had to intubate you but the others got back with the antibiotics. You should be feeling a little better now," he tells me.

Daryl was back? Was he okay? He wasn’t here, I told myself as I looked around the small cell again expecting him to be there this time.

"You should rest up, I’ll check on you later," he tells me, giving me a knowing look before heading out of the cell.

"How are you feeling?" Dad asks me, his eyes still slightly watery.

"I’m okay, Dad," I tell him, giving him a half smile, "a little tired. I just need to rest like Hershel said."

"I’ll let you do that, I’ll let Carl know you’re awake." He smiles, standing up. He leans over to kiss my forehead. "Love you, Bean."

"I love you too, Dad." He drops my hand then leaves the cell.

I only now realized how quiet the cell block was, only being able to hear the light footsteps as people walked around. It wasn’t long before I slowly drifted off into a light sleep.

•••

I had slept an hour or two before waking up again. Opening my eyes his time wasn’t as hard with the sun not as bright as it was earlier in the day. This time there wasn’t anyone in there with me, the cell was empty.

I looked to my IV, seeing that it was practically full again. Hershel must have switched it out while I was asleep.

"Hi." I hear a deep accent from the door of my cell breaking my train of thought. Turning my head I see Daryl standing there. I felt relief that he looked like he was in one piece, that was always good.

"Hi," I say back, my voice still coming of harsh, it would for a little while. Having the tube down my throat would do that.

You could see Daryl’s shoulders slump at the sound of my voice, like he needed to hear it for himself. He took a few steps before he was standing next to my bed. I reached for him, taking his hand while simultaneously pulling myself up as I pulled him down.

"Easy," he said in a worried voice as he sat on the bed beside me.

He stops for a moment, just looking directly at me, taking me all in again like it’s for the first time. He slowly brings his free hand up to my cheek, his fingertips in my hair as he rubbed his thumb under my eye like he was wiping a tear away.

"I was scared you were never going to wake up." His voice breaks a little, as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"I’m okay," I tell him. "I’m right here." He pulls me in closer, resting my head on his chest. That’s where we stayed for a while, holding each other.

"She’s dead." I break the silence, Daryl pulls away to look at me. "Caroline, she’s dead."

"What happened?" he asks carefully, not wanting to ask the wrong thing.

"She got sick like the rest of us, she was fine and then she must have died," I sigh, "she turned."

Daryl’s eyes widen a little. "Did you?" he asks me.

I simply nod, the images of her coming at me quickly coming back.

"Are you okay?" he asks carefully once again, he just wanted to know how I felt. Like me, I guess.

"Yeah? No? I don’t know, really." That was the truth, I didn’t know how to feel anymore. "I shouldn’t feel anything, should I?"

"It’s okay to feel something about it, Lee," he tells me as he tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. "You feel that because you're a good person." He smiles as he wipes a tear that escapes down my cheek, a tear for the mother I once wish she could have been.

•••

I fell asleep in Daryl’s arms and when I woke again he wasn’t there. Hershel came in shortly after that to check me and my IV.

"Daryl had to go to a council meeting," he tells me, taking a seat beside me.

"How come you're not there?"

"They need me here more than in a meeting," he smiles.

"How is everyone? Glenn? Lizzie?" I ask, worried about all the patients, especially them.

"Lizzie is doing great, back to her normal self," he tells me with a smile, "Glenn came off the breathing tube a few hours after you did. Maggie’s with him now."

"What about everyone else? Did we lose anyone else?"

"Dr. Grimes always worrying about other people more than herself," he gives me a look. "We were lucky we didn’t lose anymore after the attack happened." I sigh in relief. "How are _you_ feeling?" he asks me

He starts to take my IV out of my arm. "I feel better"

"That’s good, then," he stands back to his feet, packing his stuff up to go and check on the next people.

"Hershel?" I stop him, sitting up. He turns back to me waiting for me to carry on. "What about the baby?" I asked in quiet voice, scared the answer was going to be worse.

"Any cramping?" I shake my head. "Bleeding? Anything?" I shake my head again. "Well then Kaylee, it seems that your baby is perfectly healthy and nothing to worry about, which you know. You also know that stress isn’t good for either of you so you need to try and relax."

I nodded, he was right. I had to do my best and stop stressing so much. I take a deep breath quickly realizing that my hand was wrapped around my necklace. Taking a few more deep breaths, I focused on the pendant to help calm me.

"You’re going to be an amazing mother, Kaylee." Hershel smiles at me before leaving the cell.

I smiled, thinking about what Hershel said over and over. I was going to be good mom and Daryl will be an amazing dad.

•••

"Hey, what are you doing?" Maggie asks, coming into the medical cell in C block. I look up at her from my spot on the floor, supplies surrounding me.

"Organizing my go bag since we used a lot of supplies when we were sick?" I answer her in a questioning tone.

"You’re procrastinating again, aren’t you?" she accuses me.

"Maggie," I just sigh.

"Seriously, Kaylee. You need to do it already. It’s been over a week now," she sighs, but she was also right, damn Maggie.

It had been a week since I was intubated in A block and had woken up. I was doing a lot better, minus pregnancy related sickness that was. I was back to doing work and helping others get better from the flu while Hershel got a well needed rest.

Daryl had tried to watch over me and make sure I really was doing better but since I got sick, dad had started being more overprotective than usual, making sure I didn’t have guard watch. So I was in my cell with zero chance of getting sick again and zero chance to actually spend time with Daryl.

"I know," I sigh with her, "every time I have a spare minute to tell him, something comes up and one of us is called away."

"And because you’re still scared to tell him?" she asks as innocently as she can as she moves things to sit next to me on the floor.

"Did you just come here to call me out?"

"Call you out and help, I can do both. And I brought you a snack." She smiles, holding up a chocolate bar, breaking it in half. She hands me half. I could always count on Maggie for giving me it straight and the tough love I needed sometimes.

"I _am_ scared" I tell her, "I can only see it going one of two ways."

"Which are?"

_"Daryl, I’m pregnant," I tell him._

_His face falls as the words hit his ears and he freezes. He takes a step back away from me as his falls even more, a disgusted look covering it, "you’re what?" he asks like he didn’t hear me right._

_"I’m pregnant," I repeat._

_"No," he spits, taking another step backwards, his face getting harder and his eyes going darker. "How could you do this?" he spits. "I’m done!" he says before taking off and walking away from me._

Maggie looks at me with her eyebrow raised, "you really think that’s how he’s going to react?"

"Well…" I sigh, eating the chocolate.

"Or it could go…" Maggie starts.

_"Daryl, I’m pregnant," I tell him. His face freezes for a moment before his lips form a smile. Taking a step closer, his hand cups my cheek pulling me closer to him he asks, "we’re gonna be parents?"_

_I smile as I nod before Daryl pulls me in closer, kissing me._

It could go either way, honestly,” Maggie sighs.

"Or my favorite and most likely…Daryl I’m pregnant."

Maggie just opens her mouth and stare into the wall, her eyes just getting wider as she’s frozen to that spot.

"Maggie, what are you doing?" I ask her, seriously confused.

"I’m being Daryl because we both know he isn’t actually going to say anything. He'll be standing there too shocked to," she explains and she was right; Daryl wouldn’t know what to say to that.

"Help me pack this bag up and I’ll see if he’s free, deal? Because I actually do need to get this done before your dad gets back."

"Deal," she smiles.

•••

Even though I hadn’t been spending my nights up in the guard tower with Daryl, he had still been staying up there for his shifts on watch. That’s how I knew that’s where he’d hopefully still be right now.

Heading outside the courtyard was mostly quiet, it was still earlier in the day before it normally gets busy out here.

I make my way to the guard tower, the slight breeze feeling nice against my skin. I spotted Daryl walking out of the guard tower door, his eyes finding me immediately, a small smile on his face as he does. Walking closer to him, he takes a few steps before getting to me.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I could tell he missed spending the nights with me, his eyes not leaving me once as I stand in front of him.

"I feel better," my head automatically falls into his hand. "Now," I smile.

When one of the door opens he drops his hand from me and it goes straight into his pocket as he gets flustered, making me laugh a little.

"Did you need me for something? They wanna reinforce the fence again today, said I’d help."

"Hh yeah, I actually needed to speak to you," I say, my eyes immediately finding the floor.

"Lee, what is it?" he asks me, getting more confused.

My eyes find his again, trying to take deep breaths so I didn’t pass out. "Daryl I—" But that’s all that comes outs. _Come on Kaylee, do it._ "Daryl I—I’m pregnant."

His face stills and his eyes go wider as he tries to prosses what I’d just told him. Just when I start to panic once again, I see Daryl’s lips start to curl upwards into a smile as he goes to take a step forward.

And then he’s gone.

And the bright blue sky is flashing past my eyes, smoke starting to cover it and rubble flying past hitting me.

My arms wrapped around my stomach as I hit the floor and darkness consumes me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait but chapter 36 is finally here! please leave a comment letting me know what you thought and leave a kudeos if you liked it<3


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